It's In Her Eyes
by LilithiaRW
Summary: Re-posted. Sakura grew up thinking she was normal. She was wrong. As the seal on her powers weaken, powerful and painful memories surface, as well as a killer Kekkai-Genkai. But all things come with a price, and Sakura is about to learn that there are many secrets within her own memories and her once-clan. Sakura-centric, no specific pairs decided yet. R & R!
1. Chapter 1

**I was suddenly gripped by inspiration to write this. I slaved all day writing this Prelude! Be proud of me! READ THIS AUTHORS NOT OR ELSE!**

**A special thanks to XxBirdxOfxHermesxX author of Pain of Siblings for writing the story that inspired this! Hopefully this piece won't rot away on my computer due to eternal writer's block. (wouldn't that be terrible?)**

**I DO NOT OWN NARUTO. THIS IS NOT A ROMANTIC PEINxSAKURA FANFIC! I'm not sure what romance I will pair Sakura up with (I'm a sucker for adding a bit of romance to any story) but Pein will be her brother, and ONLY her brother.**

**WARNING and yes you must read this too: First of all, this Prelude doesn't fit with Pein/Nagato's actual past, and is purely made up by _me._So no complaints as to why it doesn't fit the Naruto version, comprende? Second is the actual warning: THERE IS CHILD ABUSE IN THIS CHAPTER. Try to bear with me, I don't like it either, but it's for the sake of the story. AND THERE WILL BE POSSIBLE LEMONS IN LATER CHAPTERS WHEN SAKURA IS OLDER AND I GET TO ANY EVENTUAL ROMANCE (WITHOUT PEIN!).**

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**Update: June 1st, 2012**

**Fanfiction, why you delete my story? I RATED IT M IN THE FIRST PLACE JUST IN CASE! \(o)/ Like omg, FF, chill. (-_-)**

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Sakura stepped warily into the room. She was so in tune with the older boy standing next to her father that she could feel the anger and resentment crashing off him in uncontrolled waves. This confused her. Her brother had impeccable self control. She had never known him to be as emotionally unstable as he was now. What had happened?

Glancing a worriedly at her brother, Sakura noticed his fists clenched so hard that she could see, with her enhanced eyesight, minute drops of blood under his fingernails. Now Sakura was alarmed. It took all her self control not to go over and hug her only and favorite sibling.

Knowing it was dangerous to ignore her father for more than a minute, she quickly turned her blank face to his imposing figure as he sat next to her brother in his throne. She managed not to gulp as his Rinnegan bore into her brain, seeming to read every thought she'd ever had. Sakura bravely returned the glare, and saw an imperceptible twitch of a smile on her father's face, proud of his daughter's nerve.

_So much like her brother…_ Her father thought.

"Musume." His ominous voice echoed across the room, his voice sending a shiver down his daughter's spine..

Sakura bowed to one knee. "Chichi-sama." She murmured softly and with great respect to the most powerful ninja the world would never know existed, if he could help it. The entire clan of the Rinnegan had to stay secret.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw her brother clench his teeth. She shifted her attention back to her father.

"You are not going to like what I am about to do." Sakura shivered again at the cold indifference of her father's voice. It was the voice he only used when he was dealing with something very dangerous and serious. And directed at her, she knew it didn't bode well for her.

"I follow you orders, Chichi-sama." Her loyalty to her clan was as great as any. Beside her father's throne, her brother clenched his hands even tighter, turning his knuckles white. Sakura wanted to walk over to him and comfort him; unclenching his hands for his and wash the cuts, like she always did for him after his training. Her dear brother was suffering horribly, and she had no clue why.

"You must leave."

Sakura froze at those words. "Chi-Chichi-sama?" she barely had time to stop herself from shouting in surprise, only gasping quietly. Her head snapped up to stare fearfully into her father's eyes, although not the same fear most people would feel gazing into the Rinnegan.

Her father kept his face blank. This only made Sakura feel worse. "Chichi-sama? I don't understand you." Her voice trembled slightly.

"I have a mission for you. One that will help your brother in the long run." Her father's voice was smooth, as if she wasn't his only daughter, the hime of their clan.

Her brother swiveled to glare at the older man sitting oh-so-comfortably in his throne. But Sakura knew her brother knew better than to object against their father's wishes, and he eventually turned away to keep himself from saying something that would bring upon him their father's ire. Instead, her brother crossed his arms angrily, now his fingernails digging into his biceps. Sakura wanted so badly to comfort her aniki.

"Why are you saying I have to leave then?" she questioned her father cautiously.

The man on the throne gave her a once over, his eyes calculating. "I need you to infiltrate a village. This village is the strongest in all the nations. They are also the most distrusting and careful people in the world, especially now during the Third Shinobi War."

Sakura froze. Surely he couldn't be speaking of-?

"Konohagakure…" she whispered.

"Indeed." Her father confirmed.

Sakura felt her eyes burning with fury and righteous anger course through her small frame.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she bellowed. "THE VERY VILLAGE THAT UTTERLY DESTOYED MY MOTHER! _MY MOTHER! _THE MATRIARCH OF THIS CLAN AND YOUR WIFE! THE MOTHER OF YOUR CHILDREN! _MY MOTHER!_"

Sakura now stood to her full not-so-imposing height of four feet. She clenched her hands and dared to glare menacingly at her father. Of course, even with the death glare perfected by her bloodline, the wrath of a seven-year-old did not phase the leader of the Rinnegan clan in the least.

"YOU WILL NOT SPEAK TO ME IN SUCH A WAY." He didn't yell. He merely raised his voice, but spoke calmly enough to spook his daughter into a quiet, simmering rage.

Suddenly Sakura found herself thrown backwards into the stone wall, blasted back by her father's immense and dangerous chakra. His fingers flicked up and a chakra string lashed at her check like a thick whip. Sakura slid down the wall and stayed still where she collapsed, not moving even after she felt the cut on her cheek oozing blood.

Her eyes were angry, but she knew she had made a mistake. Both children knew their father's anger was not to be trifled with. Sakura should have known better than provoke him in such a way, but she wasn't as adept in controlling her emotions as her brother. The punishment was deserved, and she knew this. One does not respect her father, not even his own children.

"Control yourself, musume." Her father's quiet voice spoke volumes.

Sakura allowed herself to breathe again as she felt his anger settle down.

"Now pull yourself together and listen." He ordered.

As she stood, Sakura placed a hand on the wall to steady herself, uncaring if she seemed weak in front of her father. She shook her head once, then squared her shoulders and let a mask of indifference settle across her features. Approaching the throne again, Sakura realized her brother was barely controlling his own anger. Sakura was inwardly surprised that her brother allowed such immense hatred for their father show in his eyes as he glared at the back of their father's head.

The hatred glowing in her brother's Rinnegan would have sent anyone else running for the hills. Sakura kept her face blank to keep their father from noticing the death ray at his back, but Sakura silently prayed her brother would cover his emotions. If their father saw the blatant disrespect and hatred in her brother's eyes, her brother would have the beating of the century.

"Chichi-sama." She bent to one knee again, bending her head to hide the tears of pain in her eyes. Kami her head was throbbing!

"I am sending you to Konohagakure to be one of our sleeper spies."

Sakura froze. A sleeper? A sleeper meant that they would completely erase her memories in order for her to appear like a normal person and allow her to integrate herself fully into their society. No wonder her brother had looked so pissed! As the heir to their clan, he would have been aware of what the elder clan members, including her father, would have been planning for her.

They were effectively removing her from the clan. Sakura's eyes narrowed as she glared at the ground. She knew exactly what the elders were up to. They were worried she would become power-hungry and attempt to wrest the clan from her brother. And those senile fools, steeped in their traditions, would always favor a male as an heir rather than a girl. By ridding the clan of the female candidate, 'mission' be damned, they were avoiding a power struggle between the most powerful Rinnegan users to have ever been born into the clan.

The thing was, Sakura didn't _want _to become clan leader! She _hated _politics! Her brother was the one with the patience and the silver-tongue. He was a hell of a lot more diplomatic than she would ever hope to be, not that Sakura even cared to try. She solved things with her fists.

Of course, there were some- many- in the clan that whispered that Sakura _should _become heir instead of her elder brother. Her own mother had been one of them, though the woman had still loved both her children equally. The more experienced ninja in the clan recognized that Sakura would one day surpass her brother in the power of the Rinnegan. Even her brother was aware of this, though he had only ever shown love and encouragement to his little sister. Hell, he was the one who had secretly begun teaching Sakura how to use her Kekkei-Genkai before the age limit permitted (can't have four-year-old running around with Rinnegans, now can we?).

Sakura had a bitter taste in her mouth- no wait, that was blood. Well, the blood mixed with the bitter taste of disdain as she thought of all she could do to those damn elders, if only she were powerful enough. And of course, her father didn't really care, as long as one of his children succeeded him. The only reason he was proud of his children was that both Sakura and her brother was extremely strong, although still in adolescence, and had yet to obtain the more powerful forms of the Rinnegan.

Sakura's father hadn't even realized how adept his daughter already was with the Rinnegan. Sure, he could see that it had awakened her, but as was mentioned before, the clan had yet to find out that seven-year-old Sakura had already begun learning how to use the Rinnegan from her brother. If the clan found out, her brother would be whipped within an inch of his life.

"How can you do this to me?" she asked calmly.

Her father remained silent for a moment. "It is a long-term mission. You are the right age. Konohagakure, for all their strength, are known for their bleeding hearts. If you come to them as a homeless girl without any memories, and they will be unsuspecting of an 'innocent little girl' such as yourself. They will assume you are yet another victim of this war and take you in."

'_But I am a victim of this war.' _Sakura thought grimly. _'Have you not seen what has become of this clan? What is left? I am orphaned by a dead mother and a man who is no longer my father to me.'_

"Don't fail me." Her father added.

Sakura clenched her teeth. Ungrateful man. All she ever did was try to please him. But it was never enough. She was a _girl_. She wasn't dumb. Sakura had seen the way her father looked at her. He wished she had been born a male. He saw her untapped power too, but he didn't accept it because she was a _girl_. If only dear little Sakura-musume was a _boy_, then she might deserve her father's respect. The taste of blood amplified in her mouth and she bit her cheek hard.

"Well then." Her father clapped his hands. "You should go get ready. You won't need much for this journey… Actually you won't need anything. You are going to become a 'homeless little girl' after all. Go say your goodbyes, Sakura-musume, then come back within the hour so I may erase your memories."

Sakura kept her face blank as she stood and bowed, sweeping out of the room like the hime she was.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

Her room was bare. She had never kept anything that would tie her down. Sakura had always had a sinking feeling, even when she had dared hope the one day her father would recognize her, he never would. And it would end in her leaving. Might as well make no attachments. It's not like anyone had ever given her presents anyway. Well, there had been some. But they had been far and few.

Her mother for instance.

Sakura walked over to her vanity, bare as it was, and opened her drawer. Taking out her scissors, she snapped them close, turning a fancy pair of scissors into a fancy dagger, blades sharpened on both sides. She then proceeded to pry open the bottom of the vanity drawer. The secret compartment held all she would ever need.

Sakura reached in and pulled out a fine gold chain. The chain lifted, making no noise it was so light. At the end was a small pendant. One side had her mother's personal crest, a rearing lioness. On the other side of the pendant, Sakura observed as it spun lazily before her eyes, was a carving of the Rinnegan. What better crest for her clan?

Though Sakura knew she would be better off without the reminder of her disgraceful clan, she couldn't part with the only piece of her mother she had. Not that she was allowed to have it. This was one of her biggest secrets, other than her brother training her. She knew that the clan had tried to cover up as much of her mother's death as possible, trying to destroy any evidence that Sakura's mother had ever existed. They had taken everything that her mother had ever touched and destroyed it. But they hadn't seen Sakura snatch her mother's pendant.

Knowing even wearing it was dangerous; Sakura slipped the necklace into the inner pocket of her shirt. Looking around the room a last time, Sakura left to say goodbye to one person.

Sneaking out of the main house, Sakura blended into the shadows and made her way to one of the other houses. She let herself in, stealthy for a girl only just starting her ninja training. She flipped the carpet in the living room at its corner as a message, then proceeded to enter the secret passage behind a bookcase. There, she waited.

"I'm surprised that you're here so soon." A girl's voice was soft but firm as she entered.

Sakura looked up from her spot on the ground, a book on anatomy in her lap. The older girl, about four years older than Sakura, pursed her lips, looking at the book.

"You are too smart for your age." The older girl chuckled as she grabbed the anatomy book. "I don't even understand half the words in this book; let alone what they are trying to tell me." She placed the book back in its place.

"Hisu-chan…" Sakura sighed sadly.

Hisu stopped and spun to face Sakura. Her eyes softened. "So they finally did it."

Sakura nodded.

"Those bastards are finally offing you…" Hisu said grimly, her eyes narrowing in concealed anger. Her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh! Bad word! Don't repeat that!"

Sakura rolled her eyes at the brunette. "I live with my father and his cronies. I've heard worse."

Hisu frowned. "You're only seven."

"So were you when you first killed." Sakura countered.

Hisu's frown deepened but she didn't object. Instead she sighed and took her hair out of its bun, shaking her long locks out. She knelt next to Sakura.

"I guess this is goodbye." Hisu muttered.

Sakura smiled a little. "You were my only friend, Hisu-chan. Arigato."

Hisu's stoic face smiled, just a little. "Guess I'll see ya around, Sakura-hime."

Sakura's smile disappeared and she looked away. "They're erasing my memory."

"On what grounds?" Hisu nearly stood in her outrage. Such blatant disrespect of the clan's hime! It was blasphemy and an insult to the very clan those fool elders claimed to honor.

"They are claiming that they are sending me on a 'sleeper mission.' Bullshit." Sakura snorted. "Erasing my memory, dropping me off in the very village I despise above all-"

"They are leaving you in Konohagakure?" Hisu interrupted swiftly.

Sakura's stare was all the confirmation Hisu needed. "Those _assholes._" She shook her head. "What has this clan come to?"

"Desperation." Sakura answered, looking at the walls with avid interest. "We've become desperate…"

'_Grasping at our former glory…' _Sakura sighed inwardly.

Hisu was silent.

Finally she set her hand on Sakura's small shoulder. Sakura grabbed the proffered hand and let Hisu help her off the floor. Hisu petted Sakura's signature hair fondly, the memories of another pinkette Hisu had once known vague, but still alive in the child before her.

"You will surpass her, someday." Hisu smiled gently.

Sakura looked away, knowing exactly who Hisu was speaking of.

The hand on Sakura's head grabbed her chin gently and turned Sakura to face her. Hisu smiled genuinely, something that was rare for the older girl. Sakura suddenly pitied Hisu- she would never escape this terrible clan they were trapped within.

"Stay strong, Sakura-hime." Hisu whispered. "Escape this clan. Make a name for yourself, and forget this misery."

Sakura nodded. In a sudden urge that the girl hadn't felt in a long time, Sakura flung her arms around the waist of the taller girl. The kunoichi stared in wonder at the sudden show of affection from the broken princess. Slowly, Hisu's tanned hands began to rub the girl's back. Sakura's form was tensed, and Hisu studiously ignored the wetness on her shirt where Sakura's facae was buried just under her bound breasts (Sakura is short, but so is Hisu).

Hisu glanced at the book Sakura had been reading.

"Hey Sakura-chan…" she whispered. Hisu felt Sakura pull slightly away from her torso.

"After all these years I tried to get you to stop calling me 'hime'…" Sakura sniffled with a smile. "_Now _you use –chan."

Hisu smiled. "In your new life… Why don't you become a medic?"

Sakura glanced at the anatomy book.

"Save as many lives as I have taken." Hisu whispered regretfully. "Don't become your father."

Sakura buried her face once more in Hisu's upper stomach, the only place she reached due to Hisu's height. Hisu ran her hand lovingly over Sakura's head.

"You need to leave, Sakura-hime." Hisu whispered.

Sakura couldn't stop the tears and she finally let out a sob. It wasn't that she cared about the clan… well, she cared about her clan. She was their hime. But she hated the elders. More so, she hated, **hated** her father. But she felt even worse leaving her clan, the only family she had ever had, at his mercy. Especially Hisu. Because Sakura knew that to her father, Hisu was just another disposable pawn. Her father would sacrifice Hisu, or any other member of their clan, in an instant and without a second thought.

"Survive. Persevere. Live." Hisu whispered.

Sakura nodded and pulled away. Hisu wiped Sakura's face with a cloth Sakura hadn't seen her take out. Sakura's eyes widened as Hisu's hand glowed green with chakra and a cooling feeling settled on her face.

"Wha-what was that?" Sakura asked as Hisu began to usher her out of the secret room. As she glanced around Hisu's living room, Sakura saw her reflection in a mirror hangin on one of the walls. Her eyes weren't swollen at all! They should have been with the amount of tears she had gushed.

"Just a little medical chakra I know." Hisu whispered. "It's not much compared to real medical ninjas."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something but Hisu shook her head and whispered, "We mustn't converse now that we are in the open, even if we ar ein my own house. Your father's eyes see everything."

Sakura scowled darkly.

"Now go!" Hisu urged her. "You mustn't be late!"

Sakura hesitated and glanced into Hisu's lavender eyes, the ripples of the Rinnegan gleaming in the poor light.

"I will never forget you." Hisu smiled sadly.

Sakura paused for a second; a second that felt like a lifetime. "I wish I could say the same." She whispered, blinking back a sudden new wave of tears.

Hisu gave the young Sakura one last hug. "Now go!" she said softly but urgently.

Sakura nodded and stealthily made her way back to the main house.

Hisu turned and wiped her cheek.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

"You weren't suppose to leave the house." He hissed angrily as he melted out of the shadows of her bedroom.

Sakura looked away, not letting her brother see her guilt. "Are you done?" she interrupted rudely.

Sakura glanced at her reflection, knowing that in less than a day the girl she knew would be changed forever and the lavender ripples in her eyes would most likely be gone for good. _'Such a waste of power…'_

Her brother shut his mouth and his eyes hardened. It broke little Sakura's heart to see that look of complete indifference on his face. But she knew that she wore the same mask. _'Aniki… I'm so sorry that our own family has pit us against one another… and that I won't have enough power to stop this until it's too late…'_

"Wait." She whispered.

Her brother stopped with his hand a mere inch away from her door handle. He didn't turn to look at her.

"Look at me… aniki." She whispered. Sakura watched her brother's shoulders tense, his hands beginning to tremble. Slowly, his hand fell away from the door, and though his body language was screaming at her as to how much he was struggling with all this, his face was still blank. _'That's my aniki… always in control.'_

She closed the distance between them and took his larger, more callused hands in her small, feeble ones.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry this has come between us…" she whispered, fighting the burning in her eyes. "You know I never wanted to try and take your place as heir… I never wanted so much power…"

"Shut up." Her brother said, but his voice held no contempt. "It's not your fault."

Sakura looked at her feet. Her feet were dwarfed by the large feet of her older brother. She looked back up into his Rinnegan and saw the emotions he was fighting.

"I'm so, _so _sorry I couldn't protect you…" Her brother looked so wretched and heartbroken. "I tried… I tried to tell them you weren't a threat… Kami, you're only seven! Just a child… And they have the nerve to throw you to the Konoha dogs!"

Sakura wrapped her arms around her brother's waist, which came up to her shoulders. She had always thought her brother would grow to one of the tallest men in the world… At least that's how he made her feel; her aniki was tall even for his age.

"My imoto… my little sister…" he rocked her gently.

When they pulled away, Sakura saw an immense amount of guilt and regret. "Don't blame yourself… We all saw it coming…" Sakura looked away and missed her brother gulping in even more guilt.

He cleared his throat. "We should leave." He said, looking away and his face smoothing out until Sakura barely recognized the older boy. When her aniki glanced back at her, his mask of indifference was enough to make her realize that from now on, he was no longer her brother. She felt as if her heart was being stabbed over and over…

Sakura's own blank mask settled into place, and he opened the door.

It was like a funeral march. As they passed servants and clan members, Sakura was surprised to see the amount of sadness on their faces. Some had the guts to bow to her after her brother had passed them; waiting for him to pass first so that the clan heir would not see their grave insult to him and their blatant respect for the girl that was to be unofficially disowned by the clan. Sakura noticed that many people, most of them standing against the walls and in the shadows, also had the nerve to wear black as if their hime was truly dead, some of the women who had doted on Sakura as a child wearing veils as if in mourning. And in a way, she was. She would be dead to her clan.

"My Hime…" Someone whispered, and Sakura stumbled in surprise. Such bravery! She glanced at her brother to make sure he hadn't heard. As the official clan heir, her aniki was within his rights to execute whoever had acknowledged someone else as the clan heir. Or at least beat the shit out of them.

If he heard it, he had chosen to ignore it. And knowing her brother, Sakura was sure he had heard it. Letting his younger sister receive the praise she deserved, maybe? Receive the praise she had longed for all her life only to be shunned by the very man who mattered above all others?

Sakura paused outside the large double doors leading to the throne room. Her brother walked right in, letting her take her time to collect herself. Turning around, Sakura glanced down the main hall one last time.

She gasped.

Every clan member and servant went to one knee, bowing their heads for the first and last time to their only hime. Sakura blinked quickly and bowed stiffly. She was speechless.

With every fiber of her being thrumming with fear and tension, every instinct screaming at her to run, she turned and slipped between the double doors.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

"Sakura-hime." His slimy voice sent shivers down her spine.

Sakura didn't bother to hide the disdain in her eyes. The Elder, Orihaku, sneered at the haughty, arrogant girl. Like many of the elders, they gave no respect to their leader's daughter. After all, who was she, compared to her brother?

Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have pretended to be pleasant, or at least act modest.

'_But since we are laying everything out in the open…' _Sakura thought sarcastically, making sure to make eye contact with every Elder and showing them the clear disrespect and disdain she felt for them all.

"Elder-sama." Sakura's voice was honey-sweet but her eyes were displaying clearly what she truly felt.

"Arrogant child."

"Just like her mother."

"Such a disgrace."

"If only she had been a boy…"

Sakura felt ready to snap, and almost did when she felt an immense and dangerous power enter the room. Instinct screamed at her to run and hide. Her father was here. Sakura glared at the floor as she knelt before him.

She hated the way he made her feel. Her pride loathed how easily he made her want to cower in fear, how easily he could not only break her, but also put her back together so her could proceed to break her again at a later date.

'_No matter how much you torture me, Chichi-sama, you cannot change me into what you want me to be.'_

"Musume."

'_Well at least he will acknowledge me as his daughter.'_ She thought bitterly.

"Yes, Chichi-sama?" she replied calmly, her façade firmly in place.

"Are you ready?"

'_Yeah right. Am I ready? Heck no! But do I have a choice? I would if you would bother to STAND UP FOR ME!' _Sakura frowned at the ground.

"I follow your orders." Was all she acknowledged.

He picked up on it right away. "Why do seem reluctant, musume?" his voice held that dangerous edge that usually ended with her bleeding on the floor.

'_Might as well make my exit memorable. Shove it in those Elders' faces. Live it up on the wild side.'_ Oh she was thinking suicidal now…

"Do I seem reluctant, Chichi-sama?"

Suddenly she was yanked up by her hair. Clenching her teeth, Sakura gazed fearlessly into the Rinnegan of her father. Ow…

"Do you dare mock me, child?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

"No father." She answered, cursing her cowardice.

Sakura was dropped back onto the ground.

"Let us proceed." Her father spared her no glance as he turned.

Sakura glared fearlessly at his back, and none of the Elders missed it. Many smirked at her. Some smirked because they would sadistically enjoy what she was about to go through. Others smirked, thinking that she would have grown into a great Rinnegan user. Ah, wasted power…

"Come here, boy."

Sakura's head snapped up and her eyes widened in horror. _The hell? _Oh her father was a cruel man. Her aniki stepped out of the shadows and approached her and their father with a blank expression.

"YOU BASTARDS!" Sakura shrieked and found herself being restrained by two of the masked guards and one of the younger, and sadistic, Elders, Loren. Obviously those that had plotted against her were going to enjoy this _very _much.

Sakura's eyes flashed to her father, no longer hiding the hatred and resentment.

"YOU UNCARING, UNGRATEFUL MAN!" she screamed, and didn't even see his blow coming.

"Be quiet, girl." He said with anger in his eyes. Her father glanced at the guards and the Elder. "Let her go. She should learn her lesson before she leaves."

"You sound almost heartbroken that I'm leaving." She mocked form the floor. "Not."

"Ungrateful brat." He sounded like he was commenting on the weather as he pulled her up by her face and smacked her hard across the cheek.

Her father threw her back onto the floor. "Respect your elders."

"LIKE I COULD RESPECT THESE SCHEMING MORONS!" Sakura screamed. "You think I don't realize they're behind all this? I'm not just any seven-year-old! I'm _my mother's daughter_! They hated me the moment I began to resemble her!"

"You give yourself too much credit." Her father said calmly. "This is a simple long-term mission. I'm just tired of your attitude-"

"Ohoho my _attitude?_" Sakura's voce got shriller. "You're one dumb _fucker!_"

There was enraged silence.

Sakura's head suddenly slammed with so much force into the ground that she knew immediately it was a concussion and saw pretty spots flutter across her vision…

"!" She struggled to breathe as her father's hand closed tighter and tighter around her throat. Oh the bruises she would have.

He hulled her up and threw her into a wall. His large frame toward over her, a giant compared to the girl. Sakura didn't know how many times he slammed her head into the wall, only that she had lost count.

It was the worst beating she'd ever gotten. But unfortunately for Sakura, she had enough of his beatings that she never retained any self-preservation.

"Always… disappointed…" she gasped as blood filled her vision. She was looking at her body, but couldn't tell where. Probably in several places. Her father could never control his anger. "I… wasn't a… boy."

Sakura spat out the copper liquid in her mouth, somehow sickly amused at the red liquid. Her head snapped to the side as she was blinded by his kick. Again his hand closed around her neck –_'Here we go again'_- and she was thrown into the middle of the room once more.

This time when the guards held her arms, they twisted her arms behind her back and that sadistic Elder Loren placed his foot firmly at her back and leaned down hard enough that she felt her shoulders protesting in their sockets, knowing they would break if he leaned hard enough.

"Erase her memories. The clan is better off without her." One of the Elders said, and Sakura could feel their slimy grins without looking. Through her messed hair she looked up to stare defiantly at her father and brother.

"Oh please!" she laughed bitterly. "This isn't about the clan! Everyone in this clan knows you're all corrupted idiots! They all know that _I _would have become the more powerful one!"

Sakura turned to look at all of them, her swollen neck muscles screaming. "You're just blinded by your traditions! A male heir!" she yelled as her father began to look majorly pissed, more than the little tirade he had before. "You senile fools! I never wanted to be clan heir! But you're all so blinded by your fear that you won't be able to control me! Just like my mother!"

Her father growled a curse at her and smacked her a couple more times.

"Shut up brat!"

Sakura looked into her father's eyes. "You're not my father!" she hissed. "All I ever wanted was to make this clan happy! But it was never enough!"

As tears of frustration began to pour down her cheeks, Sakura became even more pissed. "My whole childhood was spent trying to make all of you proud! I was more devoted to this clan than you selfish bastards will ever be!" Sakura glared at her father, his face annoyed.

She spat in it. "I want nothing more to do with all of you!" she yelled, the muscles of her back burning from her constrained position. Sakura knew she was a mess: bruised, bloody, strands of pink dyed red hanging limply around her face, her eyes wild and mad with pure hatred and disdain. She'd certainly leave an impression.

She glanced at her brother and saw something flash in his eyes.

"I loved you." She whispered without stopping her struggle against the men holding her down, not that her tiny body would stand against them. "My brother…"

"It is better this way, Sakura-imoto." His voice was like a recorder, monotonous and insensitive. Empty words.

It set her off. "Better? _Better?_" she barked madly. "Don't pity me _aniki_. It is I who pities _you._ I am escaping this hellhole, albeit not in a way I would like. You, however, are stuck with these backstabbers! I suggest you watch yours!"

Sakura couldn't control the widening of her eyes as her brother activated his Rinnegan and she felt her Kekkei-Genkai being sealed.

"You little bastard!" she shrieked.

'_NOT MY RINNEGAN YOU BITCH!' _her thoughts shrieked.

Somewhere to the side she heard one of the Elders begin the rights of sealing: "We hereby strip you of your powers, for the protection of our clan, and the preservation of-"

"SHOVE IT UP YOU ASS GEEZER!" Sakura snarled.

Loren pressed his foot harder into her back, and she felt her shoulder bones beginning to fracture.

"Look here, Imoto."

Sakura glanced at her brother in blind rage.

"DON'T call me your sister!" she screeched. "You and _your_ entire family have betrayed me! I am no longer one of you!"

"Erase her memories already." Sakura heard her father's voice trembling with rage.

"Hai, Chichi-sama."

As Sakura gazed fearlessly into the depths of her brother's eyes, she felt one tear of sadness leave her, and her body went limp in defeat.

"Brother… Pein-chan…" she murmured as she fell to the floor, the memories of her seven years of life fading by the second.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

Pein gazed at the pinkette on the cold stone floor, bruised and battered. His sister… she would have been one well of a kunoichi…

'_I swear to you,' _he thought behind deceptively bored eyes. _'Even though we'll never meet again, even though you will hate me forever… I will change this clan in your memory.'_

Pein glanced up and saw a shadow that seemed to have gone unnoticed by the Elders in all the drama.

'_Hisu-san…' _Sakura's only friend, and a feared kunoichi of the clan, even at her young age of eleven.

The girl looked up at Pein with such hatred that it unnerved Pein to see the very same look directed at him that his own sister had given him just mere moments before. Hisu turned and disappeared from the room. Pein had the feeling that the Elder council would be a few Elders short in the next week or so.

Starting with Elder Loren…

'_And I will be starting with you, dear father…' _Pein thought bitterly as he regarded the arrogant man who was ordering the guards to bind his sister and take her as fast as possible to Konoha. The very place that his sister despised above all others.

Pein left the room.

* * *

**Read this too- it's what I'm planning if there is a next chapter:**

_**Sakura arrives in Konoha and begins her new life. She meets the ever animated Naruto, the emo Sasuke, and Kakashi-sensei. She makes friends with everyone in the Konoha 11 (Sasuke still leaves to that pedophile) and essentially becomes the Sakura we all know and love from the anime. No one seems to suspect her past, not even her. Until the Akatsuki threat looms. And as the seal on her powers and memories begin fading, Sakura begins to realize that there's more to herself than she ever suspected.**_


	2. Chapter 2

"What is this?"

Somehow during the dark hours of the night, someone had slipped past the gate guards. As the morning guards relieved the late night guards of their duty, they noticed a body lying at the gates.

"Alert the Hokage!" One ordered his partner while he investigated the body. His partner nodded and disappeared. The guard, a newly made chunin, had to wonder what he did to deserve this. It was too early for any crisis to happen. It really wasn't fair.

"What is this?" He wondered aloud as he approached the body. His eyes were met with pink. "Pink hair?"

Sure enough, the body was a small girl with medium-length pink hair and a black cloak wrapped around her delicate body. Face down in the dirt, what skin the chunin could see was scuffed and scratched. She looked as if she had gone through hell.

"Hey, are you alive?" he asked hesitantly, pushing the body over so that the face was exposed.

Her eyes were closed, and blood trickled from her forehead where something had pricked her. The red liquid ran down into the creases of her nose and onto her small lips. There was a pained expression on her face, and there were multiple bruises on her face.

"Report."

The chunin's head snapped up at the order. He turned her head so that he was able to glance at the Sandaime.

"Hokage-sama." He greeted. "Unknown girl, around six to eight years of age, medium length… uh, _pink _hair. About thirty-nine inches tall, looks to be about forty pounds. Eye color, unknown. Background and affiliation, up between 4:30 to 5:00 AM. Extent of damage is unknown, but she has multiple bruises and scratches, and her clothes show several blood prints."

The Sandaime's eyes became shadowed. "Hm… bring her to the hospital. I want her checked thoroughly. Her body may be booby-trapped."

"Yes, Hokage-sama."

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

He didn't like this. Not one bit.

"Hokage-sama." The nurse came up behind him.

Turning away from the window that allowed him to watch the sleeping girl, Sarutobi nodded to the nurse to continue.

"Her body is clear of traps, although there is an extremely strong seal placed on her forehead and one on the middle of her back. We believe these two seals are connected somehow, but we have been unable to determine the purpose of these seals, nor how they would react should they be tampered with." The nurse told him.

"So any experimentation on these seals could be potentially be harmful?"

"We have reason to believe that there might be a suicide jutsu attached to the seal."

Sarutobi's aura darkened considerably. Only scum could do something so heartless. It saddened the Hokage that people could consider life, especially that of a young girl, so unimportant. She must have only been six or so! How could someone risk her life so easily?

"May I continue?" the nurse murmured, wary of the angry ninja.

"Yes, please do." Sarutobi answered.

"We found multiple bone fractures on throughout her body, especially her shoulder blades. We suspect her arms were restrained, and harshly. Four broken ribs, and a small crack on her skull- she had a concussion." The nurse took a breath. "Bruising on her neck in the shape of a hand- someone attempted to suffocate her."

Sarutobi's aura darkened and grew cold with each word. He had always had a soft spot for kids. This- This was brutality. He wanted to find the culprit of this abuse and kill them!

"Sir."Sarutobi glanced at the nurse. "What should we do once she is released? Would you like us to write her down as an orphan or a prisoner of Konoha?"

The Sandaime scowled. "She is hardly a prisoner." He huffed. "Write her down as an orphan. I know a friend of mine who would gladly adopt her."

The Harunos had been looking for a child ever since their matriarch had found herself unable to conceive. Now the Harunos were looking to adopt- bloodline did not matter to their clan.

"Yes Hokage-sama." The nurse bowed as she went to make the arrangements.

Sarutobi turned back to the window and continued to watch the girl, questions about her identity swirling through his head. After about one or two minutes the girl began to stir. Sarutobi quickly entered the room.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

_"Stay strong, Sakura-hime." A vaguely familiar voice whispered. "Escape this clan. Make a name for yourself, and forget this misery."_

The lights blinded her as she opened her eyes. The smell of disinfectant assaulted her nose and beeping sounded from her right and left. She lifted her head and looked down at her body. She was sitting up in a hospital bed.

Sakura groaned and attempted to move her hands. When her arms were restricted, she looked down to realize that numerous wires were attached to her. Attached _inside _her.

"Whoa." She wondered aloud and stared. It was slightly fascinating. She wondered what exactly everything was attached to. She began to poke the wires and needles.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A wizened voice sounded.

Sakura gasped and jerked her head up as she finally noticed the older man sitting beside her bed.

"But… How do they work? Why are they inside me?" Sakura took a moment to consider the man before her. "And who are you? Why am I here? This is a hospital right? I don't like the smell."

The man laughed softly. "Curious little thing aren't you? You'd make a great medic someday."

"A… medic?" Sakura wrapped her mouth around the word. The dialect of this place was different from how she had previously spoken… what had she spoken again?

"What is your name?" the man asked her.

"Sakura." She answered without hesitation.

The man's eyes flickered to her hair and smiled. "I see. I am Hizune Sarutobi."

"Nice to meetchya!" Sakura quipped, smiling brightly.

The man, Sarutobi, smiled back at the cheerful young girl. "Where are you from, Sakura?"

Sakura looked into her memory but found nothing. Her entire world came crashing down. Sakura's eyes widened as she looked down at her hands in her lap. She tried to remember… She tried so hard to remember!

_Who was I?_

_Did I have parents?_

_Where am I from?_

_I am from… from…_

_Nothing is making sense! I am Sakura… what's my last name? I like to eat… what do I like to eat? My favorite color… I don't know that either!_

Her breathing became faster as her heart began to beat erratically. The machines in the room began to give off loud noises she assumed were alarms of some kind, which only set her even more on edge.

Sakura cried out as she gripped her head with her hands.

"Whoa whoa whoa!" the man's hands came up to soothe her. "Hey are you alright? You don't have to answer if you don't want to! Calm down, little girl. Calm down."

Sakura's breathing slowed as she squeezed her eyes shut and imagined herself floating. The beeping calmed down and she felt her muscles relax. Vaguely Sakura heard Sarutobi shoo away the nurses that had been alerted by the machines.

"What do you remember about yourself?" Sarutobi asked her softly.

Sakura lifted her head and gazed at him with forlorn eyes. "I… I-I don't know… I don't know… I don't… re-remember…"

Sarutobi sighed.

Something glinted in the sunlight as Sakura shifted to face the window overlooking the gardens outside. Sarutobi's eyes narrowed.

"What is that?" he asked her.

Sakura glanced down to see where he was looking and picked up the locket that had fallen out of her shirt.

"I-I don't know!" she breathed, excitement in her eyes. "Maybe it has something to do with who I am!"

Sakura lifted the locket and gazed at it intensely. Nothing.

A sad look fell across her eyes and Sakura allowed her head to fall to her chest.

"Ow!" she cried as the bruises on her neck made themselves known.

The Hokage's eyes narrowed in anger as Sakura's hands flew to her neck. His fists clench for a moment before his face softened again.

"What… happened to me?" Sakura asked as she finally seemed to notice the bruises around her body and the pain in her ribs.

Sarutobi sighed. "I don't exactly know. But… we assume someone attempted to kill you. Someone, at least, beat you until you lost consciousness and you memories as well. At least, we assume you lost your memories due to your concussion."

Sakura went quiet and her face paled. "Someone… wanted to hurt me?" she squeaked.

The man looked away and nodded.

Sakura's grip on her locket tightened.

"I-I see…" she whispered. "I… I must have been a bad person…"

"I doubt that." Sarutobi assured her with a gentle smile. "You seem like a nice person to me."

But Sakura was still quiet.

"How about we put on your necklace?" The Hokage asked her and stood, reaching for her locket.

As his body loomed over her and his body was cast into shadow, his face disappeared and was replaced by a pair of burning ringed irises. Primal fear coursed through her as everything around her faded and she was gripped with that sense of fight of flight. Adrenaline rushed through her veins, yelling at her to escape, to run.

NO!

Sakura's eyes became distant as she screamed and began to thrash in the hospital bed. "Nonononononono!" she yelled desperately. "Leave me alone! Go away! Father!"

Sarutobi froze as he realized Sakura was reliving a terrible memory. "Sakura… It's me, Sarutobi. Please, I'm not here to hurt you."

Sakura instantly calmed down and her eyes refocused on him. Her entire frame was trembling as she clutched the chain of her locket. "Chichi-sama…" she whispered fearfully, the tremor in her voice telling Sarutobi what had happened.

An angry look crossed his face. "I am not your father." He told her gently. How could someone be so cruel to their own child? The girl was obviously traumatized.

"Here, let me put on your necklace." He whispered. "You are safe in my village. Your father can't get in here."

Sakura nodded and handed it to him. The chain was light on her neck as he clasped the necklace on her. And for reasons unknown to the girl, it felt good to wear the necklace.

Sakura smiled up at him.

"Would you like a home here?" he asked her.

Sakura stared at him. "A… A home? Here?"

"Yes, in my village." Sarutobi grinned.

"_Your_ village?" her eyes grew wide with child-like wonder.

The Hokage chuckled. "Indeed, I am the Hokage of Konoha."

The moment the word _Konoha _left his mouth her face darkened and she hissed angrily. "Konoha? _This_ is Konoha?" the sudden venom in her voice surprised Sarutobi, and he glimpsed the innate hatred within the girl. Suddenly she no longer appeared to be a mere child, and he saw a part of Sakura that was scarred and filled with pain.

Sarutobi blinked at her change in demeanor. "Yes, this is Konohagakure."

Sakura hissed again, like an angry viper. "This place… A curse on this place!"-

"Why?" the Sandaime asked her curiously. Maybe she had some of her memories after all.

The flames in Sakura's eyes died down as a confused took over. "I-I'm not sure." She stated unsteadily. "But it… It's bad! Very bad!"

Sarutobi's eyebrows lifted at the sudden change to a four-year-old's vocabulary. "Bad how?"

"I don't know!" the girl snapped. "It's just… the name. Just hearing _Konohagakure _makes my want to hurt something. It makes me angry! And… It hurts…"

Sarutobi sighed, wondering why the girl's instincts were telling her that Konoha was the enemy.

"I'm sure if you spend some time here you will realize it's not that bad." He smiled. "In fact, there are many nice people in the village. It's a hidden ninja village, you know."

The girl's eyes showed doubt, but also curiosity. "Ninjas? That is so cool!"

"We would gladly welcome you to make your home here." Sarutobi told her comfortingly.

Sakura hesitated.

"I have a friend who is looking for a daughter to adopt. I'm sure the Harunos would be happy to have you."

The man's smile became to charming that Sakura couldn't help but smile back.

"O-Okay." She whispered.

The Hokage smiled. "Welcome to your new home, Sakura-san."

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

_"Stay strong, Sakura-hime." A vaguely familiar voice whispered. "Escape this clan. Make a name for yourself, and forget this misery."_

Eyelids flew open as jade colored eyes darted around the room. Her grip on the kunai under her bed loosened and she sat up, a cold shiver running through her body. Sakura groaned and got out of the bed, wrapping herself in a fluffy white robe that was striped with pink and red. Pulling her hair into a ponytail as she walked, the teenager of sixteen headed downstairs to the kitchen.

_It's been a while since I dreamed about that… _Sakura thought as she grabbed a mug and poured herself some coffee. _Sarutobi-sama… I wonder if he knew more about my past than he let on... _Sakura contemplated the voice from her dream just as it ended.

_Sakura-hime?_ She wondered if she had been important before she lost her memory. The pinkette began cook some coffee, pouring the liquid energy into a mug and sipping from it as she was lost in her thoughts.

Another body joined Sakura in the kitchen as Misaki Haruno entered the room. Sakura's adopted mother had light brown hair, pulled into a bun at the top of her head, and hazel eyes that had enough green in them that she could sometimes pass as actually being related to Sakura. Misaki had been caught during a mission and tortured. The damage to her body left her body quite damaged, and she later found out she would never have children. After that she had retired, and soon adopted Sakura at the Sandaime's request.

"Morning Oka-san!" Sakura greeted as she began to fill a cup of coffee for her mother while Mrs. Haruno began to cook breakfast. "You're up early."

Her mother chuckled as she began to whip the eggs and turned on the stove to heat the pan. "I figured I'd see you off this morning. Lately you have been so busy with Tsunade-sama that I barely have time to see you!"

Sakura kissed her mother's cheek as she handed Misaki her cup. "I get to see you for dinner at least three times a week!"

Mrs. Haruno pretended to pout. "That's not nearly enough! I miss my pretty little blossom."

"Ugh, Oka-san you know I don't like being called 'blossom'." Sakura complained as she began to chop up vegetables and brought out the shredded cheese.

Mrs. Haruno chuckled and began to pour the eggs into the pan, letting the yellow liquid sizzle. "Okay then, _Cherry-Pie_, would you please get the leftover rice from the refrigerator?"

Sakura scowled at the dreaded nickname but complied. They worked the rest of the morning with silly banter as the two women cooked breakfast, with Sakura frying up the rice and Mrs. Haruno cooking the omelets. They had always gotten along; Misaki Haruno was only nineteen years older than her adopted daughter at thirty-five years of age.

"I smell breakfast." Kazuki Haruno walked in, thirty-three years old and still looking like he was in his late twenties (a fact that often made Mrs. Haruno complain about how unfair age was on women). Sakura's adopted father had light red hair, just a shade lighter than Gaara's, and eyes that shifted between green and blue. Kazuki was a civilian, but often worked in the offices at the Hokage Tower.

"I swear the only way to wake your father is to cook food. Honestly! Even with evolution, men are still driven by food!" Mrs. Haruno huffed and slid an omelet onto a plate, which Sakura snatched up before her father could reach for it.

Mr. Haruno pouted while Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and began to add some fried rice next to her omelet. She grabbed a knife and cut the egg before digging in with her chopsticks. Her father pouted and waited for Mrs. Haruno to finish another omelet.

"Thank you, Honey." Mr. Haruno kissed his wife's lips briefly before sitting at the kitchen table to eat. Mrs. Haruno quickly made her own breakfast and joined them.

"So how did you sleep, Sakura?" Her father asked.

Sakura put down her chopsticks and took a sip of her juice. "Actually, I had a dream."

"Really?" Her mother raised her eyebrows.

Sakura nodded. "I dreamed of the day the Sandaime found me. When I woke in the hospital. It's strange, I haven't thought about all that in so many years."

Her parents were quiet for a moment. "Do you want to find your real parents?" Her mother asked her softly.

With a laugh Sakura shook her head. "Oh no. I'm not interested. My birth parents abandoned me, and my real father beat me, at least that's what we gathered from my condition that day."

Kazuki Haruno gripped his chopsticks tighter. "NO man has the right to hurt my little girl."

Sakura smiled and kissed the top of her father's head as she walked by, placing her dirty dishes in the sink. "You guys are my parents, and nothing will change that."

She ran upstairs to change into her ninja clothes and put on her nin boots. Tucking her gloves into her back pocket and grabbing her headband, Sakura waved goodbye to her parents and headed to the door. "Gotta go or I'll be late for work! Bye Oka-san! Bye Otou-san!"

Her parents called their goodbyes as Sakura exited her house and made her way to the Hokage Tower. Taking her hair down from its ponytail, Sakura scowled at how long her hair was getting. It was about an inch or more longer than how she usually liked it, it was already passing her shoulders by half an inch. Quickly pulling her hair into a bun, Sakura entered the Hokage Tower without having to check in with the guards.

"Sakura I need those files!"

"Sakura-san, are you going to be work at the hospital this afternoon?"

"Sakura-san, Shizune is asking if you've seen Tonton."

"Sakura-senpai, an ANBU squad just came in to the hospital and they need you to lead the operation!"

"Sakura-san, where are the reports on the Wave Country located?"

"Sakura! Take these to Tsunade-sama!"

"Sakura!"

"Sakura-san."

"Sakura."

The girl in question groaned and slumped on the couch in the Hokage's office. "I don't want to see another file or even a piece of paper for the rest of the day! And I definitely DO NOT want to hear my name called for some emergency of whatever for the next hour!"

The Godaime laughed softly at her apprentice. "Imagine if you had Shizune's job."

Sakura groaned.

"You are getting blood on my couch." Tsunade complained.

"There was already blood on the couch." Sakura deadpanned. "Just imagine how many ninja have sat in this couch with still-warm blood on their blades, armor, hands, et cetera."

Tsunade grimaced. "Ew. Imagine the germs on that thing."

"Aiiiee!" Sakura squealed and leaped up from the couch. "Oh that's just nasty!"

"That's what you get for getting blood on my couch." Tsunade said while wondering whether she could pay the cost of getting a new couch with tax money.

"Don't blame me, blame the ANBU idiots that can't tell the difference between a fatal wound and a flesh wound." Sakura scowled.

Tsunade sighed and pulled out a sake bottle from her not-so-secret stash in the bottom drawer (that everyone except Shizune knew about). "Want some?"

"Yes!" Sakura sighed and took the cup of sake Tsunade handed her.

"SAKURA-CHAN!"

The pinkette groaned as she placed her empty cup on the desk. "Didn't I just say I didn't want to hear anyone else call my name?"

"Even worse." Tsunade snickered. "It's your teammate."

And with that said the door slammed open and a blonde, orange-clad ball of energy glomped onto Sakura.

"Oof!" Sakura barely stopped herself and Naruto from toppling onto the Hokage's desk. "Mmmrf… Can't... Breathe… Mmmph!"

"NARUTO GET OFF!"

"Sakura… chan…" Naruto slumped to the ground with a large bump on his head.

"Good day, Ugly." BAM! The sickly pale Sai found himself introduced to the floor as Sakura's foot grinded his face in the hardwood.

Yamato sweat-dropped.

A chuckle came from the window as Kakashi stepped in. "Those boys." He shook his head.

"Report." Tsunade ordered.

As Kakashi relayed the mission report, Sakura was busy taking her frustration out on Naruto and Sai.

"I missed you on the mission! It was too bad your mother was sick… Anyway! You should have seen me, Sakura-chan! Those nin didn't stand a chance!" Naruto began to flail his limbs wildly as he attempted to re-enact his 'epic battle'. "I was like 'you won't get away with this!' and then BAM! I Rasengan-ed his ass through the building! But then! Then! His groupies were like 'Oh no! How are we going to defeat such a powerful ninja?' and I go 'Yeah, take that pussies!'"

"NARUTO!" Tsunade yelled. "Watch your language!"

Kakashi sighed and pulled out his Icha Icha. "No one gives me any credit any more…" he muttered. Yamato patted Kakashi's shoulder sympathetically.

Tsunade rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on fast.

"Hokage-sama!" Shizune burst through the door looking quite worried.

Everyone went quiet as all attention was diverted to the woman. Shizune walked briskly to Tsunade's desk and deposited a scroll on the Hokage's desk. Sakura and Kakashi's eyes narrowed at the coloring of the scroll. The paper had a thick red line wrapping around its middle- meaning an emergency. Tsunade released the protective jutsus and ripped open the message.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What is it, Baa-chan?" Naruto asked curiously, oblivious to the severity of the scroll.

The Hokage growled and rubbed her forehead. "This… is very bad." She muttered. "Naruto, Sai, Yamato, you are dismissed."

"_Nani?_" Naruto asked incredulously. "No way! I want to know what is in the scroll."

"Naruto leave. That is an order." Tsunade said seriously.

The blonde boy pouted as he followed Sai and Yamato out the door.

"Shizune, get me Nara Shikamaru and the Hyuuga Neji." Tsunade ordered. "Neji should be training with his team at training ground 10. You know where to find the Nara boy."

Shizune bowed and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What's the problem?" Sakura asked as she closed the door and sealed the room.

Tsunade growled in frustration again, pulling out the sake. "I'll tell you when the others get here."

Her apprentice cocked her head. "Why do you need me, Tsunade-sama?"

The Hokage waved her hand. "All will be explained when the others get here. But while we wait…"

The two women made eye contact.

"Sakura, go get the forbidden scroll."

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

_It must be serious…_ Sakura thought as she leaped across rooftops. Landing in front of her house, Sakura slipped in through her bedroom window and unsealed the many protective jutsus in her room. Flipping back the carpet, Sakura bit her thumb and unsealed the floorboards. Lifting up the wood, Sakura brought out the weapons that she had kept hidden along with other super-secret, uber-classified crap.

Slipping into the stretchy outfit that allowed maximum movement that most ninja wore under their flak jackets, Sakura took a moment to stretch so that the fabric settled into place like a second skin. Catching her reflection in the full-length mirror in her room, Sakura watched as the young woman in the mirror transformed into a deadly kunoichi. The long sleeves of her shirt were made of fishnet, as well as the top portion of her torso, just above the bust. Sakura slipped on her nin boots and began sliding knives into the top of the boots and in the heel. A kunai pouch was strapped to her right thigh, her medic ninja pouch hung on the left side of her hip, and a couple battle scrolls with various uses placed in her pouch

A flash of gold caught her eye. The pinkette lifted some other objects out of her stash and spotted a necklace at the bottom of the compartment. With a gasp, she remembered the pendant. _Wow… when was the last time I saw this? I must have lost track of this necklace years ago!_

For some odd reason, Sakura's hands shook as she pulled the pendant out of the compartment and held it in front of her face. The gold was as shiny and perfect as that day she had woken up in the hospital, not a speck of tarnish to be seen. It spun lazily in her face, and Sakura squinted to see a rearing lioness on one side.

"Wha…" she mumbled, grabbing the pendant and holding it still as she tried to make out what was on the other side. It seemed to be some kind of clan symbol… But it was blurry, scuffed out for some odd reason. If she looked carefully, it looked to be shaped like an eye of some kind…

With a shrug, Sakura clasped the necklace around her neck and slipped it under her shirt. Standing up, Sakura glanced around the room, for some odd reason, she felt as if the necklace was heavy, although it barely weighed a thing in reality. A sense of foreboding washed over her.

Sakura stared at her reflection for a moment, imagining the days she had been a genin and posing in front of the very same mirror, trying to look pretty for the boys instead of worrying over her training. Back when she had still been an innocent little girl. But the life of a ninja rarely left innocence untouched. Sakura considered herself lucky to have survived long enough to realize that.

"_Today will be the day Sasuke-kun will ask me to be his girlfriend! I just know it!" the young girl declared, smoothing down her thick pink hair and placing a hand on her bony hip, smiling at her reflection. "Take that Ino!"_

Sakura smiled grimly, reminiscing about those simple days when her team was whole and happy. Or at least, as happy as an emo Uchiha could get. Shaking her head to clear the thoughts, Sakura realized she had to get going. Casting a quick genjutstu that gave her brown hair and eyes, Sakura pulled her now brown hair into a messy bun. Transporting onto the roof next door to her house, a nondescript kunoichi made her way back to the Hokage Tower, no one realizing her identity.

Upon arriving, she leaped through the window of the Hokage's office, which was conveniently open thanks to Kakashi.

"I prefer pink." Kakashi murmured to her with a wink (which was really just a blink with his one visible eye).

Sakura didn't respond, but shook her head with a hidden smile. She took her spot between Shikamaru and Neji. Kakashi lazily came over to join the line of ninja facing the Hokage.

"Now that we are all here, time to get to business." Tsunade began.

"I assume it's a medical emergency?" Shikamaru yawned, the only person not affected by the tense atmosphere.

Tsunade glared at the lazy ass. "Yes. Now listen up." She tossed the scroll to Kakashi. "The Akatsuki are going after the Hachibi. Now they have already battled, and the Eight Tails managed to escape. But the Akatsuki will no doubt return for him."

Kakashi finished reading the scroll and handed it to the ninja on his left, Shikamaru.

"Now, the Eight Tails suffered from the Amaterasu. Haruno, this is where you come in." Sakura dipped her head in acknowledgment. "You are to not only heal the Hachibi, but also study the effects of Amaterasu."

"Hai, Hokage-sama."

Shikamaru's eyes were calculating as he passed the scroll to his left, to Sakura. The medic nin began to read while the Hokage addressed the tactician.

"Nara. Your job here is to figure out-"

"When the Akatsuki are likely to come back, what their plan of attack might be, what people they are most likely to send, how this will impact our political relations with Kumogakura, considering it was Uchiha Sasuke that attacked their Hachibi. Got it."

"Tch. Smartass." Tsunade muttered. "And don't forget to see if Uchiha Sasuke can be pardoned, although I doubt it. You know this is going to hurt Naruto."

Sakura handed the scroll to Neji.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"Hyuuga." Tsunade turned her attention to the long-haired prodigy. "You have exceeded expectations as a jounin. I do hope you try out for ANBU soon."

"Arigato, Hokage-sama." Neji bowed. "I will do my best."

Tsunade tapped her fingers together. "You and Hatake will be the firepower on this mission, should the Akatsuki show their ugly faces." Here the Hokage pinned all the men with a glare. "_If you are wounded go to Sakura. _I will not lose three of my best ninjas because they foolishly bled to death; being too proud to go to their medic nin. Let Haruno do her job, boys."

Kakashi's one eye creased as he rubbed the back of his neck guiltily, Shikamaru sighed, and Neji remained stoic as ever.

"Now go pack your things and meet each other at the gates as quickly as possible." Tsunade ordered.

The four-man cell disappeared.

They met up at the Konoha gate about twenty minutes later. Sakura was still unrecognizable with brown hair and eyes, and double the amount of weaponry she usually carried.

"Haruno-san." Neji greeted her, being the second to arrive.

"Neji-san." Sakura smiled.

The Hyuuga's eyes softened. "I have to agree with Hatake-san. You look better with the pink hair and green eyes."

Sakura chuckled. "Tsunade likes to keep me as her secret weapon." She joked.

"You're skills are hardly a secret." Neji told her, lifting an eyebrow.

The Haruno smirked. "Not all my abilities are well known."

Neji gave a hint of a smile. "Maybe I will be lucky enough to find out on this mission, Haruno-san."

"Don't count on it." Sakura teased. "And for the second year in a row, _Hyuuga-san_, call me Sakura."

The brunette man nodded with a small smile. "Then call me Neji."

Their bonding time was cut short when a certain lazy genius walked up, a bag slung over his shoulders.

"Let's go." He muttered, sticking an unlit cigarette in his mouth.

"What about Kakashi-sensei?" Sakura asked as Neji followed Shikamaru down the road. She glanced back at the gates before jogging to catch up with them.

"Your sensei is always atrociously late, is he not, Sakura?" Shikamaru asked her. Years of playing shogi with Sakura had led to many rants on her irresponsible sensei while the two unlikely friends challenged each other in battles of wit and strategy.

"Aa… but still, we should wait for him!" Sakura said.

Shikamaru stopped and faced the pinkette. "Sakura." He said. "I am not going to wait around for Kakashi-san. He will just have to learn to be on time."

Sakura's mouth fell open before turning into a smirk. "Okay." She shrugged. _I tried._

The gates of Konoha were barely out of sight when Kakashi appeared before them in a puff of smoke, giving each of his team members the evil eye.

"You left without me." He deadpanned.

Sakura pointed at Shikamaru, who sighed.

"Blame him."

"Traitor." Shikamaru muttered at Sakura.

Sakura giggled at him. "I tried to stop you."

Neji just barely stopped himself from rolling his eyes. He was stuck on a team with the laziest ninja in the world, a pouting old man **[Kakashi: Hey! I resent that!]** and a distracting woman.

And yes, Haruno Sakura was distracting.

Very, very distracting.

"Neji-san." Kakashi's low voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Hai?"

Kakashi gave Neji a stern look. "Stop staring at my student."

Neji's eyes tore themselves away from Sakura and with a glance at Kakashi, he sped up to travel next to Shikamaru, hiding the faintest hint of pink on his cheeks. Sakura gave Kakashi a curious look, but her sensei just smiled serenely and waved.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey people! New chapter! Yay! I'm sorry for any grammar mistakes, I have yet to find a beta-reader.**

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO.**

* * *

**Kumogakure**

"So you are the ones the Hokage sent." The guard at the gate said gruffly after they showed him their papers. He was a burly man, shaven, with tattoos on his forehead and temples. Scary. "Wait here."

The gatekeeper disappeared into the village, his partner keeping an eye on the ninja team from Konoha. This man was younger, but no less weathered, his eyes were gray and calculating, curly brown hair pulled into a bun on top of his head, and his skin was pale. There was a scar on his left cheek. From Sakura's medical experience, she guessed he got the scar from a kunai.

"You shouldn't stare at stranger shinobi for so long." Kakashi murmured softly. Sakura turned away from studying the gatekeeper to face her sensei. "They don't like it. And we don't need to patronize them." Now Kakashi winced. "This is a diplomatic mission after all."

Sakura stifled a smile at her sensei's discomfort. Kakashi hated diplomacy with a burning passion, even if he was just as silver-tongued as any politician. She nodded her head and instead began to study the village from the outside.

The position of the village itself was quite a feat. The village was located in mountains, rising up out of the water like some mythical landscape. The low hanging clouds added to the mysterious aura of the village. Sakura wondered how the village buildings managed to stay balanced in such a precarious landscape.

Thirty minutes passed.

"Geez, how long does it take for a messenger to get the Raikage to let us in?" Shikamaru sighed.

Sakura shrugged, and sat down on the gravel path that led to the gate, opening up a large book she had read on the trip here to page 156. Neji looked over her shoulder and read a couple words before recognizing the book.

"'_A History of the Mysterious Kumogakure'_?" Sakura looked up to see Neji smirking down at her. "Really Sakura?"

The medic rolled her eyes. "This is a diplomatic mission, and it would help if I knew a thing or two about the village."

"Just don't make it look like we were sent here to spy on them." Shikamaru warned from where he sat under a tree. "I suggest not letting the Kumo nin see you with that book."

Sakura nodded in affirmation, knowing that Shikamaru had a point. Returning her eyes to the pages, she began to read. Above Shikamaru, in tree the genius currently lazed under, Kakashi sat with one leg propped up and the other dangling down, reading his Icha Icha. Neji began to sharpen his kunai.

Another ten minutes passed.

This was interrupted by someone politely clearing their throat. All the Leaf nin looked up lazily, pretending that they hadn't sensed the approach of the Kumo shinobi. Sakura studied the young man, about the same age as her, Shikamaru, and Neji, maybe a year or two older. His eyes were brownish red, and his face angular. The most stunning thing about him though was his skin. She had heard rumors that there were people in Kumo, like the Hachibi, with dark brown skin, darker than a simple tan. This man's skin was the darkest skin tone she had ever seen.

"My name is Nagasuko Hichibo." The shinobi bowed politely. "I am to lead you to the Raikage. If you will please follow me."

Without a word, the Konoha shinobi stood up and followed the Kumo nin into the village, Sakura pocketing her book in her pack and cinching the buckle tightly. The team kept their faces carefully blank, their movements deceptively relaxed, all the while their eyes took in every detail of the village as they passed through it. When the gates closed behind them, Sakura risked a glance backwards, noting that the gate would be surprisingly easy for her, with her super strength, to uproot and toss.

She noted, as she passed through, that the walls of the village buildings were kept free of mold, a no doubt arduous task to upkeep. The walls themselves seemed to be made out of a type of clay that made the walls look yellow-tinged, which contrasted surprisingly well with the blue roofs and green shutters on many of the buildings. Kumo nin paused on the rooftops, staring at the Konoha ninja, before going on their way. The citizens of the village kept a careful distance from the strange shinobi, many hiding in their houses, only to peek out their windows at the four strangers.

Sakura couldn't help but inwardly smile as one child pointed loudly at her pink hair.

The Raikage tower suddenly came into view, tall and proud. Sakura eyed the bright blue domes, noting the architecture was much different than most shinobi countries. Was it true that the Kumo nin had origins in another continent then? She shook her head minutely to clear her thoughts. This was a matter of diplomacy, not anthropology.

Hichibo led the team of Leaf nin into the main doors of the tower, Kumo shinobi staring at them as they passed. The older ones- those who had fought in the wars- glared at their one-time enemies, while the younger Kumo nin stared in open curiousity.

"Whoa! Who are they? Are they from another Hidden Village?" A young genin, from the looks of it, yelled from across the hallway. He had longish brown hair pulled into a short ponytail with strands of hair framing his young face. Big, pale blue eyes stared at the Konoha nin.

"Shut up Kimiraku!" A girl form his team yelled and bopped the boy. This genin had red hair in a braid falling over her shoulder, with bright brown eyes currently narrowed in annoyance.

"Look, now you've attracted their attention. Sensei won't be happy." A third teammate grumbled as he crossed his arms. This one had bright orange hair, spiked in the back and straight in the front, with messy bangs covering his right eye. His eyes were hazel, switching from green to brown with each angle of the light.

Sakura allowed a smile to twitch on her face and grabbed Kakashi's arm. Her sensei looked down at her curiously, then followed her gaze to land on the genin team. He chuckled when the Kumo genin realized they were being watched, and gulped nervously.

"Remind you of anyone?" Sakura whispered as she caught Kimiraku's eye and the corner of her mouth twitched. She winked at the genin, causing them to erupt in a flurry of gossip.

Kakashi turned and continued to follow Hichibo, Sakura trailing behind him. "You kids were such a handful." He said over his shoulder to Sakura.

His student rolled her eyes. "Whatever, you know you enjoyed it."

They stopped talking after that, since speaking about Team 7 usually brought up painful memories for the both of them. It had been like that ever since Naruto had left. They would remember the good times of Team 7, but they never spoke about the subject for long, knowing that it would only lead them to discuss the failure of the team. Sakura and Kakashi never grew closer in a teacher-student relationship. Eventually, after Sakura became Chuunin and began going on higher ranked missions with Kakashi sometimes as a team captain, they became friends. They were essentially equals now, even if Sakura insisted on calling Kakashi 'sensei'.

Hichibo led them up a third set of stairs, and the Konoha team found themselves on the top floor of the Raikage tower. Sakura stared out the windows and down at the village below, her comrades mirroring the action. Hichibo knocked on the door to the Raikage's office.

"Who is it?" A gruff voice permeated the door.

Hichibo answered, "I've brought the teamof shinobi sent from Konohagakure."

There was a pause. "Come in." the Raikage finally answered.

Sakura fell in behind the team captain, Shikamaru, with Neji then Kakashi following her. They fanned out and stood next to each other when they entered the office. Hichibo walked up to the Raikage and handed him a piece of paper before their escort then left the room, closing the door behind him. The Leaf nin stood at attention, legs braced apart, arms at their sides or clasped behind their backs.

"So…" the Raikage muttered. "The Hokage sent you guys, eh?"

Shikamaru gazed lazily at the Raikage. Neji stared at the Raikage with the signature Hyuuga-pupiless-really-creepy stare. Kakashi gazed around the room as if he had better places to be. Sakura mentally shook her head- representatives of Konoha indeed. The only ones who seemed to know anything about proper behavior was her and Neji. Not that Neji was doing a good job of _not_ freaking the Raikage out with his white eyes.

_The least you could do is look attentive!_ She tried not to glare at Shikamaru and Kakashi, especially since they were on different sides of her, with Neji separating her from Shikamaru on her left.

The Raikage's eyebrow twitched. It seemed he was annoyed by her teammates as well. The Raikage was tall, with the same oddly dark-colored skin Sakura had only really seen in Kumo. He had a large muscular build, and had blonde hair, a small moustache, and a beard. And then, when the Raikage stood up, Sakura realized that this guy was a freaking hulk.

_BAM!_

The Konoha shinobi, except for Sakura (because Tsunade did that all the time), flinched as the Raikage slammed his hands on his desk. "You Konoha whelps! You will treat me with respect. Do you not honor your superiors in Konohagakure? You do not even bow before a Kage and have the audacity to look bored and lazy in front of me!"

Sighing, Sakura stepped forward, bowing. "I apologize for our rudeness, Raikage-sama. We bring greetings from the Godaime Hokage Tsunade-sama, and wishes of well-being to your Kumogakure from Konohagakure."

The Raikage studied the kunoichi silently. "Hm." Then his eyes turned to glare at her teammates.

Sakura sighed, knowing she was the only one being respectful. She smiled sweetly at the Raikage. "If you will excuse me for a moment."

Rounding on her comrades, Sakura grabbed Shikamaru by the ear and Kakashi by the collar of his flak jacket, bringing them close to her face, promising a painful death.

"Listen here, you morons." She hissed. "You are _not_ going to embarrass me, let alone Shisou, by acting like a couple of _pricks_ in front of an allied leader! Now you will act _correctly_ and show some _respect _before I throw you out the window! _**Do you understand?**_"

Kakashi and Shikamaru, and even Neji, carefully keeping out of Sakura's range, nodded fearfully. Sakura let them go with a huge grin, suddenly just as innocent as she appeared. "Good!" she sang sweetly, turning back to face the Raikage, who was watching on in concealed amusement. "Now apologize."

The men grumbled. Green eyes flashed as they locked onto her victims. "Speak louder." She ordered.

"We apologize for our behavior." The men said, looking at their feet.

Sakrua glanced at the Raikage, who nodded his acceptance. She clapped her hands. "Good. Now then, Raikage-sama, I do believe we have business to discuss."

The Raikage sat down in his chair and motioned for Sakura to take a seat, leaving the male Leaf nin standing. Sakura thought they deserved it.

"I am Haruno Sakura." She introduced herself.

"Ah, the famed apprentice of Tsunade herself." The Raikage nodded, impressed.

"Indeed." Sakura inclined her head. "I am here on the behalf of my Shisou to help heal the Hachibi's wounds."

"How do you know we even needed your help to heal our own jinchuukiri?" the Raikage scoffed.

Sakura resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "As far as we know, there is no way to treat wounds inflicted by the Ameratsu. And your Hachibi did encounter the Ameratsu, did he not?" she lifted an arched pink eyebrow at the Raikage.

The Raikage reluctantly nodded. "Yes. So I would assume that other than healing our Hachibi, you were also sent here to study the Ameratsu?"

Sakura shrugged. "I would like to. You see, what makes me a good medic is that I enjoy studying medical mysteries, and I am very good at solving them. The Ameratsu a difficult case to study, and I need all the evidence I can get my hands on."

"…. Very well then." The Raikage murmured. Then he chuckled. "I like you girl. But make sure you control those men."

Sakura glanced at her team behind her. Wasn't Shikamaru the one who was supposed to be acting as team captain? And here she was dealing with the Raikage! Sheesh, she was the only one around here that could get things done.

"I will keep a _very_ close eye on them." Sakura promised, glaring at the two lazy geniuses that was her sensei and captain. "And be assured that I will be discussing this with them when we get to our rooms tonight." She said this to the Raikage, but everyone in the room knew she was threatening Neji, Shikamaru, and Kakashi. They shivered in fear of the pinkette.

"Nara Shikamaru here," Sakura pointed at the Nara, "Will be acting as our diplomatic envoy." _When I am not here to do the job for him, the bastard._

"And those two?" The Raikage glanced at Hatake and Hyuuga.

"They are just here to do the heavy lifting." Sakura waved her hand. She felt them immediately start to glare at her back and fought a smile.

The Raikage chuckled. "Well then, I'll have one of my men take you to one of our embassies. You may stay there for as long as you are in the village. Of course, should you make one wrong move, I will not hesitate to order your arrests."

Sakura stood and shook hands with the Raikage. "Of course, Raikage-sama."

"You may call me A-sama." He said, then called for one of his shinobi to lead them to their quarters.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

"I cannot believe you guys!" Sakura yelled at them once the door closed behind them and the Kumo ninjas were out of earshot. "You totally embarrassed Konoha! Tsunade! Me!"

"Why didn't you just speak up in the first place?" Shikamaru grumbled, not daring to pretend to be bored/lazy in front of an irate Sakura-slash- Tsunade reincarnation.

The pinkette glared daggers at the Nara. "You idiot! _You_ were supposed to be the one speaking in the first place!"

Before Shikamaru could open his mouth to object, she was already rounding on Kakashi. "And You!"

Her sensei flinch as she unleashed her temper.

"Did you really have to stand there looking bored out of your mind? We were in the presence of a foreign leader, and you had the gall to be disrespectful!"

Kakashi opened his mouth to defend himself, but Sakura's glare silence him.

"I'm going to find a room and take a much needed nap." The medic muttered, leaving the men to sigh in relief that she hadn't physically punished them. Yet.

The first bedroom in the embassy that Sakura found she claimed. Closing the door, trying not to slam it, she ran her fingers through her hair and dumped her pack onto the bed. She went over to a dresser and began placing her clothes inside, taking off her dirty travel clothes and dumping them on the floor. Picking up a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, Sakura headed into the bathroom connected to her room, placing the clean clothes on the vanity and turning on the shower.

The hot water was heavenly as she rolled her shoulders, clearing her mind. There was already shampoo, conditioner, and body wash in the shower, courtesy of the embassy, and she eagerly cleansed herself. As she finished washing out the last of the conditioner from her hair, Sakura bent over to grab the body wash.

Pain lanced through her back.

Sakura gasped and her knees went weak, bring her to the shower floor. Another flash of pain shot through her back, as if someone were inserting a large needle into the middle of her spine. She ground her teeth to keep herself from crying out loud. And as soon as it had begun, it was over.

When her back was no longer throbbing with pain, Sakura carefully stood up, her legs shaky with the fear that movement would restart the pain. Cautiously, Sakura reached for the body wash again, and slowly began to lather the soap onto her skin. Her back did not bother her again. Sakura mentally shrugged; it was not unusual for old wounds to sometimes flare up.

Then she frowned. She did not remember having a wound on that specific spot.

Rinsing her body one last time, Sakura turned off the water and grabbed a towel from the rack, drying herself off and wrapping the fluffy fabric around her body as she stepped out. Dressing in her T-shirt and shorts, Sakura quickly dried her hair with the towel, shaking her wet strands a couple times after she hung the towel to dry.

As she was sitting on the bed, hiding several weapons in the room and placing a trap and genjutsu on her window, there was a knock on her door.

"Come in." she said after recognizing Neji's chakra signature.

Sakura smiled when she saw he was holding two cups of hot tea. Neji sat down on the bed next to her and handed her one of the mugs. She reverently wrapped her hands around the warm ceramic. She hadn't realized how chilly it was in Kumo.

"Arigatou." She thanked him with a smile.

Neji's blank face softened. "Thought you would be pretty worn out."

Sakura chuckled. "You got that right."

"Does this mean I'm no longer in trouble for what happened in the Raikage's office?" Neji asked her.

Sakura chuckled. "You mean when you and those other two bakas left me to appease the Raikage before we caused a diplomatic incident?"

Neji smirked.

"No." she laughed. "You three still have a lot of brownie points to make up. Although at least you acted less of an asshole then the other two."

Neji rolled his eyes. "I don't see what the big deal was."

Sakura glared over the edge of her cup as she took a sip of tea. "You guys did not show proper respect to a Kage. I know that as a Hyuuga, you feel you need only treat the Hokage as your superior, but this is about diplomacy."

"It is the main branch of Hyuuga that deals in politics." Neji muttered.

Sakura rolled her eyes at the poor excuse. "Whatever Hyuuga." She gave him a small smile. "Now get out of my room and let me sleep."

Neji stood and nodded his head to her. "See your tomorrow, Haruno-san."

Sakura huffed. "I told you to call me Sakura!"

Neji just smirked and walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

Something was wrong.

Kakashi jumped out of his bed, a kunai drawn in each hand. When there were no enemies in the room, he sheathed one weapon, still holding a kunai in his main hand. He crept to his door, slowly opening it to peer into the hallway. Nothing.

He entered the corridor, his feet silent on the carpeted floor, looking for the source of what woke his instincts. Nothing was out of place though: the carpet looked untouched, every flowerpot and cabinet that decorated the hall was exactly as it had been earlier. He was about to turn and head back to his room when he felt it.

A tiny, miniscule, unnoticeable pulse of chakra. So small and insignificant that it was only because of his Sharingan that the sensed it. And it was coming from Sakura's room.

Kakashi quickly and silently made his way to her room, opening her door carefully, dispelling the genjutsu she had placed on her bedroom door. Sakura lay in her bed, a sheen of sweat covering her body. Kakashi frowned; it was too chilly that night for her to be sweating.

"Sakura?" he whispered softly.

Her head thrashed, and that's when Kakashi saw it. Instantly he as at her side next to the bed, holding her arms down as she flailed in pain, her mouth opening in a silent scream. Kakashi nudged his hitai-ate up with his shoulder.

The tomoes of his Sharingan swirled as he gazed upon the slight glimmer on her forehead, an odd shape reflecting whenever the light hit her forehead just right. His Sharingan tried to focus on it, but the seal on Sakura's forehead was still hidden, and the glimpses he caught of it were incomplete and blurry.

Eventually Sakura calmed down, and her breathing evened out. Her body relaxed as she fell back into a deep sleep, and Kakashi carefully pulled the covers over her. He sat by her side on the bed for a long time, going over the vague images his Sharingan had captured of the seal on Sakura's forehead. He stroked her hair as he thought, his worried eyes continuously glancing at his student, wondering why she would have a seal on her in the first place.

Eventually Kakashi returned to his room and went back into a fitful sleep.

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

"_Father!" she tripped and landed face-first into the dirt._

_He looked back at her with dispassionate eyes. "Disgraceful."_

_Pain. She felt… pain… Had he hit her? Why? Why did he not love her? What had she done wrong? Was she really so bad?_

_She sobbed._

_The pain intensified._

"_Gomen, Chichi-sama!" she sobbed._

_More pain._

_Why? No one loved her… why?_

…

_**You were only ever second loved.**_

_Second loved._

_**You weren't a boy.**_

_I was a girl._

_**You were weak.**_

_I am not weak!_

_**"Stay strong… Sakura-hime." **__Someone whispered.__** "Escape ... forget this misery."**_

_I am alone._

_And then she found herself looking into a pair of eyes. Lavender purple, rings surrounding the pupil, staring at her. She trembled. The eyes closed, and suddenly Sakura was staring at herself. She reached out to touch the Sakura standing into front of her…_

_The pink haired replica in front of her opened her eyes, staring at Sakura with ringed, purple eyes. Sakura screamed-_

-and jolted up in bed, her mouth clench tight as her voice rose inside her. She panted put her hand over her chest in an effort to calm her racing heart.

"Just a dream." She whispered. Sakura winced as something pricked her forehead. Rubbing her forehead, she sighed. "Just a nightmare."

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**Read and Review!**

**and if you would, please visit my Bio-Page and scroll to the bottom to the section labeled "New Story Ideas" and tell me if you like any of them! ^_^**


	4. Chapter 4

**I DON'T OWN NARUTO**

**I'm too lazy to make Killer Bee's words rhyme. Sorry. I hate rhyming. So in this story he will talk normally XD.**

**WE MUST GO DEEPER. Lolz, inception… Anyway, let us continue to delve deeper into Sakura's strange powers…**

**Special thanks to the Halo 4 Soundtrack for inspiration. I would suggest listening to that while reading this. Go to Youtube and look up "Halo 4 Soundtrack Limited Edition (2012)" and start around... song #9 Solace at 0:32:02. that should be enough time to read to the creepy part and listen to track #11 Immaterial at 0:41:47. Dun dun dun...**

* * *

"Wow, these look horrible." Sakura told the jinchuriki as she examined the burns left by Sasuke's Amaterasu.

"Tell me something I don't know." Killer Bee winced as she probed some of the charred skin, capturing some of the flaking skin in a small glass vial.

Sakura turned to the medical assistant that Raikage had kindly assigned to her. "Take this to my lab." She ordered, slightly giddy that the Raikage had been so impressed with her that he had also lent her one of the labs in the chief hospital. Her assistant bowed slightly before following the order she had given to him.

"You seem well-acquainted with giving orders young lady." Killer Bee observed.

Sakura smiled. "I run the main hospital in Konoha. It is no simple task, I assure you."

"So young? You must be very good at what you do." Killer Bee studied the girl before him, with her disarming coloring but stern gaze. It was only with his demon's instincts that Killer Bee could sense an underlying aura of danger that the young medic carefully tamped down. She was no doubt very handy in subterfuge and surprise attacks.

A grin lit her face at the thought of Tsunade-sama. "I learned from the best, Killer Bee-san."

"Oh don't be so modest, Lady Haruno." Killer Bee admonished. "It is well known to the Hidden Villages that you are quite the medical prodigy. Tsunade cannot create that herself."

Sakura blushed slightly in embarrassment. "Aw shucks." She said lightly, but smiled in appreciation. Patting his uninjured shoulder, Sakura handed Killer Bee his shirt. "You can put this back on, Killer Bee-san. I'm finished with you for today. See you tomorrow!"

"Good day, Sakura-san." Killer Bee stood and pulled his shirt back over his head, adjusting the various straps before picking up his swords.

Sakura tidied up the hospital room before heading to the lab, her notes set in a neat stack next to a microscope, with the jinchuriki's skin cells already on the thin glass slide, ready for viewing. Pulling up her rolly-chair, Sakura sat down and pulled the microscope towards her, peering through the lens while her hands opened her notebook and picked up a pen.

Almost an hour later, she finally removed herself from the microscope. Cracking her neck and wincing at how tight her muscles were, Sakura glanced down at the notes she had taken, swinging the rolly-chair in a circle as she read.

"Fascinating." Sakura murmured, her eyes bright with curiosity. "The chakra is so strongly infused with the jutsu that it remains for almost a week afterward. Maybe more. I'll have to wait to observe it longer."

Summoning a miniscule amount of her own chakra, Sakura lowered her finger close to the slide, but not touching the skin cells. She sent out a pulse of chakra, and watched as Sasuke's chakra from the Amaterasu seemed to greedily attack her own chakra. Sakura quickly severed her connection, and turned to jot down some more notes.

"It's like the chakra is a poison!" She exclaimed to herself; she had always had a bad habit of talking to herself during research. "It remains in the skin and burns the chakra pathways, damaging the victim whenever they use their chakra. But it isn't like a poison that can be drawn out, nor can I risk regenerating skin cells since they would regenerate with the chakra burn inside of them…"

Then Sakura frowned and sat up, placing her hands on her hips. "THEN HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO HEAL THIS THING?!"

She groaned and face planted into the desk in front of her. "Owwwww…"

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

"How is the research going?" Kakashi asked Sakura when she walked into the embassy, not even looking up from his Icha Icha. He sat on one of two couches in the living room, his back facing Sakura's entrance.

"Don't talk to me yet." Sakura growled, and walked into the kitchen and heating up some tea, all the while her eyes were still glued to her medical notes. _Amaterasu seems to be the highest level Fire Release technique, and of course, only Uchiha are capable of using it…_ she read her scribbles.

Without looking, she stuck a protein bar into her mouth to chew on as she poured hot water into a mug, the tea bag floating to the surface. _The only known users have been Uchiha Madara, Izuna, Itachi, and Sasuke; although there were no doubt more users during the First Shinobi war, these remain unrecorded since the Uchiha clan abandoned the practice of taking their siblings' eyes to gain power during the peace times…_

Sakura turned and walked into the living room, placing the mug on the table, her eyes flitting across the pages. She took a second to shift to the next page before starting her reading again while she made a quick trip to her bedroom to retrieve a couple medical texts.

_The flames of the Amaterasu are described as jet black; according to legend they are the fires from hell; hot as the sun and ignite at the focus of the user's vision. Though the flames are supposedly unavoidable, Amaterasu we know that Uchiha Sasuke managed to dodge the flames during his fight with Uchiha Itachi… _Sakura plopped herself down on the couch opposite Kakashi, eyes still continuously glued to her notes, reaching down to take a sip of her hot tea.

She let out a long sigh as the hot caffeinated drink slid down her throat, relaxing into the cushions.

Kakashi's eye crinkled. "Do you feel alive now?"

"Definitely." She dipped her head in one slow nod.

At this moment, Neji walked in while pocketing a scroll in his robes. "I heard the door open. I had a feeling it would be you, Sakura-san."

Kakashi smirked. "Well we all know how terrifying she is when she is tired and cranky."

At this Sakura fixed her old sensei with a glare. "Watch yourself Hatake!" Kakashi raised his palms in mock-surrender while Sakura turned to Neji with a tired smile. "Again with the –san, Neji. You can just call me Sakura. Anyway, I'm better now that I've had something to drink."

Neji chuckled and sat down on the couch with Sakura. "Well I'm sorry to ruin your relaxation, but we have some matters to deal with regarding Konoha's diplomatic ties with Kumo. Shikamaru will be here any minute now and we can discuss things."

Both Kakashi and Sakura frowned, asking in unison, "Is something wrong?"

"Well-" Neji was cut off as Shikamaru walked in.

"This is absolutely troublesome!" Shikamaru sighed as he plopped down next to Kakashi, facing Sakura and Neji.

Shikamaru placed a scroll on the table and used two fingers to flip it open. Everyone leaned forward to peer at the scroll as Shikamaru began to explain.

"Sasuke has caused quite the mess here in Kumo, and no one is feeling very forgiving at the moment. And his newly formed affiliations with the Akatsuki aren't helping. Even if he is a missing-nin, the fact that he is ex-Leaf has strained the already tender ties between our village and Kumogakure."

"That boy's just digging himself into a deeper and deeper hole, isn't he?" Sakura muttered. "The little shit."

All three men stared at Sakura.

"What?" she asked defensively.

Kakashi shook his head. "It is beyond frightening how much you sounded like Tsunade. Absolutely terrifying."

Sakura huffed and turned to Shikamaru. "Go on."

Shikamaru directed their attention to the writing on the scrolls. "I've talked to the shinobi that were at the attack. Here," -Now Shikamaru pulled out a local map of the surrounding Kumo territory and pointed a one of markings that Sakura assumed meant temple or house of some kind- "Is the location of the attack occurred. Killer Bee reported that Team Taka all took part in the attack, not just Sasuke. This may or may not aid us in our plea for the Raikage to refrain from sending hunter-nin after Sasuke. But I'm pretty sure we can forget about getting a pardon for Sasuke. If Sasuke ever returned to Konoha - and is not executed for his crimes- he would still be useless in half of the mission assignments because he would be outlawed in allied countries."

'_Why am I not surprise?' _Sakura thought.

"We will start our search here," –Shikamaru pointed at one of the larger rock outcroppings shown on the map. "This is where the fight came to a close."

"Will there even be anything left to track?" Sakura wondered aloud.

The trackers on the team, Neji and Kakashi, looked almost affronted.

"My dog-nins will catch his scent." Kakashi assured her.

"There has to be some trace of chakra residue from the battle." Neji stated matter-of-factly.

The corners of her mouth twitched in amusement. "Sorry I ever doubted you." She chuckled at them.

"I don't think we have to worry about interference from the Akatsuki in this investigation, but I've factored the scenarios in anyway." Shikamaru continued in an annoyed voice, clearly not appreciating the banter. "Sakura, do you think you can get away from the hospital to come to the battle site with us? I know it wasn't part of the original plan."

"I would love to come! I'm getting nowhere with my research; I'd love to get out of that wretched lab!" Sakura's eyes lit up almost desperately.

"Well alright then." Kakashi said. "Let's get moving."

(((o)))/ _\(((o))) _**It's in her eyes**_

The place was quite barren. Mist hung just above the tips of the rock formations, and the rivers ran languidly below. The rocks were crumbling where the fight had taken place, and Sakura could clearly see almost every impact point like scars on the land. Kakashi summoned his nin-hounds and then he and Neji immediately set to work looking for a trace of the missing-nins. Shikamaru walked around in a seemingly idle manner, however Sakura knew that the Nara genius was no doubt taking in every detail and analyzing it a thousand times over, putting together a mental idea of how the battle had progressed.

However, Sakura really had no job in this part of the mission. Her jade eyes scanned the area with practice calculation. Thoughts of her own missions flitted through her mind, seeing as the current state of the environment reminded her of a solo mission that had ended badly the year before-

_She had been sent to extract information on a unique seal, one that had two parts, and were connected so that if not released correctly, would trigger a suicide trap that would kill both the wearer and the one attempting to release the seal. She had been tracking the paper trail of the seal for months, eight months now, and due to the need for secrecy, she had only contacted Konoha three times within those months. If she died here, no one would know._

_The rain pelted hard on Sakura's face, blazing icy trails down her face and neck, imitating tears as she blinked them out of her eyes. It was as if nature was mocking her for not crying. After all, she had cried so often and so uselessly in her genin days._

_But here was an appropriate time to cry, to feel sorry. But she didn't. She couldn't cry. The tears would not come._

_Her body shivered in the relentless rain, the cold seeping into her skin. Her enemies lay dead around her, and it seemed to her that the rain was washing their blood towards her, the red stains sloshing against her feet. Even after so many years as a kunoichi, she didn't like killing. But here she was, standing in the middle of a massacre. One wrought by her hands. The ground was gray and muddy, the sky lit up occasionally with lightening, the only sounds were her heavy, struggling breathing and the thunder that rumbled above. The remains of a temple crumbled around her, the rocks crushed to pieces, boulders thrown haphazardly._

_The wind plastered her hair to her face, but still Sakura could not find the strength to move. She just stared at the bodies around her, frozen by self-fear._

_She had killed all these men; the men who had been guarding the secret of the seal in some long forgotten temple. Or at least, it should have been abandoned. Sakura did not expect some form of cult to be lurking in the shadows, guarding the secret of the seal from outsiders._

_They had claimed to be serving the Kami. That the gods had chosen them to keep the secret of the seal safe. Sakura had laughed at them, calling them fools. But they would not backed down, and had force her to fight and then-_

_She had blacked out._

_When Sakura had come back to her senses, they were all dead. Now she stared at the carnage, wondering what on earth had happened. Flashes of memory flitted through her head-_

_-screaming men pleading for mercy-_

_-a flash of blue, the color of the cultists' robes-_

_-her arms reaching out in an alien handsign-_

_-a strange jutsu on her lips, devastating the battlefield-_

_And now she stared at her hands, blood covered and trembling. Thunder boomed overhead. She should move before hypothermia set in. But she couldn't. Sakura was terrified. What had come over her? This- This wasn't her._

_She had the memories of killing these men. But it was as if she were seeing it through another's eyes, as if a fog were hanging over her eyes, the memories hazy, the screams of men echoing from far off in her mind._

_**What happened to me?**__ She wondered, suddenly terrified to be in her own skin. The shock was finally fading, and her mind started kicking into gear._

_A sob escaped Sakura's chest. She collapsed on her knees in the mud, hugging her body, unable to escape. She had killed in cold blood! It was as if- as if- as if someone had taken over her body!_

_BOOM!_

_A loud clap of thunder resounded just above her head, snapping Sakura out of her bewildered state as the rain came down with even more force. She stood and limped into the cover of the temple, the dark halls blasting her with the damp air of the underground. But it was warming than staying outside in the freezing rain._

_Sakura's steps were staggered; her body trembled from the combination of being cold, wet, and wounded. She knew she would pass out soon. But determination set in, and Sakura walked forward into the dark halls of the temple. She would find what she came for before succumbing to weakness._

_She stumbled into the temple, noting with amazement how well-maintained the ancient symbols still were, almost untouched by time and weather. Had those monks been preserving the temple? She continued to limp forward, pressing a hand to her side to staunch the blood as she gathered the last of her chakra to dull the pain._

_She got to the center of the temple, and stared at the large edifice erected in the middle of the room. It was a large carving of what looked to have been an eye. Most of the carving was scratch out and worn dull by time, so she dismissed it and looked around for a direction which would lead to the library. However there was only one corridor that was still intact, and so Sakura followed that one._

_Some of the doors to the rooms stood open, with a simple bed and desk within them. Sakura guessed that had been where the cultists had slept. This was certainly turning out to be a strange mission. She could almost hear the suspenseful music playing in the background if this were some kind of movie._

_The corridor opened up to a large room filled with decaying books. This was it. She walked down the center aisle, looking for any type of book or scroll that looked remotely intact. Nothing._

_Sakura was about to turn and begin searching the next aisle when something caught her eye. Turning her head, Sakura was amazed to see a perfectly preserved scroll, lying on an altar of some kind. That had to be it._

_She approached warily, dragging her left leg a little as her injury took its toll. Her entire left side was losing mobility and feeling. She tested the first step up to the altar, putting pressure on it to see if it triggered any booby traps. Nothing._

_Second step. Apply pressure. Wait for sudden trap-_

_Nothing._

_Finally Sakura stood next to the stone table, staring down at the scroll. Strangely enough, there was a clean, sharp dagger place next to the scroll, looking as if it had just been put there, rather out of place when surrounded by ancient artifacts. And of course, there was a hole in the ceiling that allowed on ray of light to settle on the scroll. How cliché. Sakura almost rolled her eyes. This was too easy._

_Suspiciously too easy._

_Her hand reached warily over the scroll, ready to snatch itself away at any moment. Her hand placed itself on the scroll._

_Nothing happened._

_Then Sakura tried to lift the scroll. "Wh-What?" she whispered as it didn't budge. She tried again, with all her strength. The scroll didn't move. She knew this had been too easy! Sakura huffed and tried again with her chakra strength. It still didn't budge. Was the stupid thing glued to the altar?!_

_Sakura gasped, sensing a presence, and whirled around to see and small figure standing back near the bookshelves. "Who-Who's there?"_

_The figure stepped out of the shadows. It was a boy, dressed in the robes of the cultist monks who had lived in the temple. That she had killed. But- he was just a child._

_The boy stared up at her with large, doe-brown eyes. "You look like Kami." He whispered._

_Sakura flinched. "Huh?" she murmured, glancing down at herself. She was hardly a pretty sight, covered in mud, blood, and drenched in cold water, shivering with her hair plastered to her head, the pink turning a darker shade of plum in the water and shadows. "I don't understand."_

_The kid stepped closer. "You look like him."_

"_Who?" Sakura looked at him confusedly._

"_The descendent of the Kami." The boy said. "His hair was darker than yours, but your faces look like each other."_

_Sakura was speechless. She knew she was adopted, but this had to be a coincidence. Surely. "When did this… descendent of Kami come here?"_

"_When I was little." Said the boy, then he looked at the scroll. "He came to put that scroll here."_

_Sakura glanced down at the unmovable scroll. "Did he say how to remove this thing?" she asked the boy, since he didn't seem like a threat._

"_Well, we were told that you have to spill your blood with that dagger next to it on the altar." The boy said with a small smile._

_Sakura frowned, already having lost a lot of blood. "Oh is that all?" she asked sarcastically to no one in particular._

_However, the boy did not seem to be acquainted with the concept of a rhetorical question. "Of course, only those with the blood of the Kami will be accepted by the altar and may take the scroll."_

_Sakura's hand faltered on the dagger. "What?!"_

"_If the altar does not accept your blood, you will die a terrible death." The boy said as if reciting a passage from a textbook, smiling widely at her as if he had answered her question correctly and was expecting an A on his test._

"_The things I do to complete a mission." Sakura muttered, picking up the dagger and positioning the blade over her left arm above the artery. "Let's just hope I'm a descendent of Kami then."_

_Sakura was no stranger to pain, but she still cringed as the dagger sliced easily, smoothly, into her forearm. She pulled the dagger back and held the wound over the altar, squeezing her fist to force the blood to drip onto the altar next to the scroll. To her fascination, as the blood dribbled onto the stone, it began to expand, flowing toward the edges of the altar until the entire surface was covered in a ruby-red sheen. Though Sakura had seen a lot of blood in her life, cutting herself and watching her blood move on its own was kind of freaky._

_She waited with baited breath, expecting a booby trap to at any moment or at least have flames leap out at her or something. The air was still as she held her breath. Then, the blood began to move again._

"_Wha…" she stared at it._

"_It would seem the altar has accepted your blood."_

_Sakura yelped in surprise as the mysterious monk kid from before was suddenly at her elbow, staring at the altar as well. Sakura nearly stabbed his face with the dagger in her surprise. "Don't do that to me!"_

"_Look." The kid brought her attention back to the altar as he pointed at the scroll._

_Turning her head, Sakura saw her blood was now leaking into the scroll, sinking into the parchment until all of her spilt blood seemed to be absorbed into it. She couldn't help it. Her mouth dropped open and she gapped like a fish out of water._

_The little monk turned to her. "Aren't you going to pick it up now?" he asked as if she ought to know better._

"_Uh…" Sakura said intelligently. Shaking her head, Sakura reached forward to grasp the scroll, easily lifting it up from the altar. She could see in the dim lighting that words had appeared on what she had thought to be a blank parchment (previously she had assumed the words were protected by a jutsu that had made them invisible- turns out all it needed was her blood)._

"_That scroll goes beyond our world." The kid told her, nodding sagely as if he knew the answers to the universe. What a strange boy, Sakura thought. "It is the words of Kami. Not meant for human hands. Accept you, descendent of Kami."_

_Sakura gawked as the boy bowed to her, his forehead touching the floor ceremoniously. What the- there was no way she was the descendent of a god (she didn't even really believe in gods- the life of a shinobi had shredded what little faith she had in the higher powers). "D-Don't do that!" Sakura said softly. "I'm… just a girl."_

"_A mere girl would not have been able to kill an entire army of monks and touch that scroll," the boy looked pointedly at the scroll in her hands, "without dying."_

_Sakura felt a tremor of fear race down her spine as she stared into his eyes. Suddenly the boy did not seem so young to her, the look in his eyes looked too old for his face, as if he had seen too much of the world. He no longer seemed quite so human. Sakura's eyes returned to the piece of parchment in her hand._

_And though it went against her mission contract to ever look into a scroll retrieved on missions, Sakura couldn't help but roll the parchment open. Her eyes widened as she saw the letters, gleaming blood red as if still wet and recently written in her blood._

_Sakura laid the scroll back onto the altar, smoothing the sides as she stared at the words. It was some form of an ancient language, written in ruins she had never seen before. But… the longer she stared at it, the more the ruins began to form what seemed to be words, as if coming into focus. This language, Sakura realized, was written right to left. Not top to bottom, like Japanese. How odd._

_Her breathing hitched. This was… This went beyond the world of shinobi. This was entirely different. She glanced at the little monk boy out of the corner of her eye, but he was gone._

_Wait! What?_

_Sakura's head snapped up and she looked around the dim library for any sign of the boy. She glanced down at the dust-covered floor, but only saw her own footprints in the dirt. She could have sworn he had been there! There was no way she had imagined him! Her heart began to race, and her mouth went dry. Fear crept into her mind as her hand clutched the scroll to her chest, her other hand replacing the eerie dagger back onto the altar._

_She was distantly aware that her arm was still bleeding, and unconsciously healed the cut with as much chakra as she could spare. Glancing down at the scroll, Sakura stared long and hard at the strange words on the paper._

"_Not meant for human hands, huh?" she whispered to herself, the words glinting in their blood-ink. She rolled the scroll up and bound it again, clutching it as her heart raced._

_Maybe… Just this one time she would report this as a mission fail. Sakura stuck the scroll into her pack, intending to hide it when she got back to Konoha for her to study later. There were some things that the shinobi world wasn't ready for._

Sakura blinked and lifted her gaze from the ground. That had definitely been one of the creepiest mission she had ever been on. She preferred the straightforward type- go in, fight with enemies, and no supernatural creepy stuff. The world beyond was not hers to deal with, or at least that was how Sakura preferred it.

Tsunade had been disappointed in Sakura failing the mission, but had understood when Sakura reported the surprisingly large army of monks that had been guarding the secret seal. However, she kept the ordeal with the strange monk-boy and the scroll a secret. Hopefully one that would stay buried.

Sakura looked up and saw Shikamaru walking towards the temple located in the nearby rock formations. It was a beautiful structure, well-maintained, and standing erect. The arches were painted a deep red with a few minor chips in the paint, paper seals flutter in the wind from the edges of the rooftops to ward away evil spirits, and as the wind caressed Sakura's hair, she hear the faint tinkling of wind chimes.

"Shikamaru…" she called. He stopped and looked over his shoulder at Sakura as she caught up to him. "Are you sure we are allowed to go in there?"

"Well they didn't tell us we could." Shikamaru shrugged, and a sly smirk stretched across his features as he continued walking towards the temple. "But neither did they say 'No'."

Sakura glared at him. "Shikamaru…" she growled in warning. "You better not get us in trouble."

"If they really wanted us to stay out of the temple they would have told us. Otherwise it's Kumo's fault for not taking care of the technicalities of our agreement." Shikamaru told her.

_Oh politics, thou art an unmerciful mistress._ Sakura thought dryly, following Shikamaru up the steps to the temple. She looked around, amazed at the beauty of the place. She could see why the Killer Bee had chosen to live here. Glancing at her teammate, Sakura was surprised to see a confused look on Shikamaru's face, his eyebrows slightly scrunched together in thought, his dark brown eyes glancing furiously from one point to another, the cigarette in his mouth moving up and down as he tapped his tongue against it in thought.

"What's the matter, Shikamaru?" Sakura asked him, taking another glanced around the steps. They had reached the entrance to the temple, which was built into the side of the mountain range, and so lacked the usual courtyards most temples had.

Shikamaru hesitated for a moment, before speaking. "Something is different about this place. It's not like other temples I've been to…"

"Well it's definitely different from the Fire Country's temples." Sakura noted. "It's architecture is definitely influenced by Kumogakure."

Shikamaru and Sakura stopped at the top of the stairs, glancing into the main tunnel that led into the heart of the temple. The torches that had lit the place during the Hachibi's stay were long burnt out, but fresh air could still be smelt wafting up from the tunnels.

_Poof!_

Sakura and Shikamaru turned to greet their latest companion, hiding their surprise when one of Kakashi's nin dogs appeared behind them.

"Pakkun!" Sakura greeted her old friend with a gentle smile. "It's been too long!"

"Sakura, it is good to see you." Pakkun replied. "Beautiful as always."

Sakura giggled as Shikamaru spoke up. "Did Kakashi or Neji find anything yet?"

The pug turned to Shikamaru. "Yeah, they sent me to find you. They think they have found the trail Sasuke and team Taka took, but they aren't sure whether it's trustworthy or not. They want you to decide if it's legitimate or a trap."

The brunette man nodded. "Go tell them I am on my way."

Pakkun gave a small bark in acknowledgment, and then he poofed out of existence as Shikamaru turned to Sakura. She turned to him. "Shall we go then?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, I want you to take a look around this temple."

"What?" Sakura couldn't help but squawk. "No. Oh no. Never again."

Shikamaru gave her a questioning look, probably considering whether she had gone crazy.

"I don't do temples, Nara." Sakura said firmly. "Not anymore. Those places are creepy and old and haunted-"

"There's no such thing as ghosts, Sakura." Shikamaru sighed.

"And what about freaky little spirit boys who tell you to cut yourself with some ancient dagger so that some sentient altar-slash-scroll can drink up your blood?!" Sakura said in a rush, the words blurring together so that Shikamaru didn't really catch all of what she had said. However he seemed to hear enough of it that he looked at her like she was finally losing her sanity.

He placed his hand on her forehead, eyeing her for any signs of disease. "Are feeling feverish? Lightheaded? Maybe you've had too much caffeine…"

Sakura knocked his hand away. "I am NOT going in there, Nara!"

"You'll be fine, Sakura. It's just a temple." He gave her that look of his that, when coupled with his narrow eyes, told her 'I-am-done-arguing-with-you-now-do-as-say-before-I-pull-rank'. Sakura crossed her arms, not willing to admit her defeat.

"Some weird freaky thing is going to happen to me, and when it does I'm blaming you!" Sakura growled.

Shikamaru rolled his eyes. "Stop being so troublesome, Haruno. Geez, one would think you were a scaredy-cat."

Sakura glared at Shikamaru. "Naruto and Sasuke are the idiots from my team who always got caught up in crazy bloodlines, supernatural freaks, and demons and demons and demons. I, however, prefer not to."

Shikamaru let out a small laugh. He would admit that the knuckleheaded ninja always seemed to encounter the strangest problems. "You'll be fine, Sakura. Just walk into the temple, take a look around, and if you don't see anything suspicious, come find me and the rest of the guys. Okay?"

Sakura stared into the dark mouth of the temple tunnel. A shiver ran down her back as she briefly remembered her last encounter with an old, suspicious temple. She scowled. She was acting foolish; there was no way something weird would happen a second time. That temple with the ancient scroll was one of those one-time incidents, right? What were the odds it would happen again? She shouldn't let that get to her. Besides, she was the apprentice to the Fifth! She wasn't weak anymore.

"Fine." Sakura muttered. "Go help Kakashi and Neji. I got this."

Shikamaru gave Sakura a helpless smile, ruffling her pink locks. "See ya soon, Haruno."

Sakura muttered a few choice words as he walked away, making Shikamaru chuckle as he took off in the direction Pakkun had gone. As she watched him go, Sakura couldn't help but give a warm smile for her old friend. Then her face smoothed out and she turned to walk into the Kumo temple.

Darkness engulfed her after only three steps in.

Whipping out an emergency torch, Sakura struck the match along the wall quickly, the friction releasing a bright red flame. She held it up and entered into the lower regions of the temple, stumbling with one hand on the wall to keep her sense of direction. Images of the her last creepy encounter in the Fire temple flashed through her mind, her hands trembling at the memory of the bloody dagger, the weird scroll, and above all, the disappearing boy.

The tunnel stretched on. She stared at the pictures depicted on the walls, beautiful images carved and painted into the walls, extremely well-preserved compared to the Fire temple's, which had been almost completely scratched and scuffed away from age and weather. The isolation of the Kumo temple really helped.

There were depictions of people: farming, fishing, dancing, playing music. There were pictures of the environment: the sun rising over the mountain, the rivers flowing underneath, the occasional plateau covered in green. As she went further in the pictures became less general, and seemed to focus on what Sakura guessed was the religion of the time. The images hailed heroes of war and battle who were receiving gifts from the heavens. There were beautiful people depicted above the rest of the crowd, adorned in brightly painted robes and with crowns on their heads. Their eyes were the brightest part of the images, painted a bright purple that seemed to glow in the dark.

Sakura glanced away quickly and moved on, disturbed at how the eyes seemed to shine in the light of her torch, as if they were watching her. Another shiver ran down her spine.

_Creepy factor strike one. _She thought, trying not to imagine the eyes in the painting were watching her. _Maybe I should have just dealt with the guys teasing me for being a coward._

Up ahead, she could see the outline of the tunnel opening up into a room less dim. She quickened her pace.

Sakura reached the inner chamber and gasped. She raised her torch as the light was cast onto the ancient mosaic displayed on the wall. It was a large symbol of some kind. And it seemed so familiar to her.

It was a large clan symbol of some kind, very ancient by the look of the temple. It was in the shape of an eye, ringed by various irises. The eyelashes were carved to look like rays of light. At the top of the eye was the symbol of the sun and at the bottom was the symbol of the moon and stars. Each iris was colored in with tiles a different shade of purple/blue/gray, though given the age of the mosaic, a couple tiles were missing, and a few stray vines dangled down from the top level. And at the center of the irises was the pupil, which was so black Sakura thought it might actually be a hole.

Glancing down at her chest, Sakura fingers reached into the collar of her vest, pulling out the golden chain and charm she wore. Holding the pendant up in the light of the torch, Sakura stared at her necklace, using her forefinger and thumb to stop it from twirling. She glanced at the side with the rearing lioness on it before turning the pendant over and squinting her eyes at the clan symbol there. It was vaguely shaped like an eye too. Except the image still kept blurring whenever Sakura tried to focus her eyes on it. Getting frustrated, Sakura dropped the chain, letting the pendant hang out of her shirt as she forgot about the necklace.

She couldn't help her curiosity but to approach the large, ancient symbol. The pupil was eye-level with Sakura as she got nearer, the flame flickering in her hand but she paid no heed to it. The blackness of the pupil seemed to reflect light. Was it a large, polished stone of onyx maybe? Sakura reached out with her free hand to touch the pupil when suddenly-

Her torch flickered and died.

Sakura gasped as she was thrust into total darkness. In a blind moment of panic, she stumbled and felt her hand collide with the wall. She expected to feel the rough stone, but instead her hand felt the cool, smooth surface of whatever stone the pupil had been carved from.

And the pupil lit up.

Sakura gasped and stumbled backwards, nearly falling onto her butt. The pupil gleamed a faint purple, lavender hue, and the light from the pupil began to spread outwards, leaking into the cracks between the tiles of the irises. Soon the entire eye was alight, and seemed to be staring down at her.

Sakura gulped. This was definitely not what she signed up for. Dealing with supernatural forces was Naruto's forte, not hers. However after a couple of tensed, still minutes and nothing moved, Sakura found her curiosity and again approached the eye.

It had reacted to her touch, so what if she touched it again? She took a step forwards and placed her hand on the symbol again. The light pulsed, making her gasp, but she didn't pull away. Sakura's eyes fixated on the onyx orb. Her own pupils began to dilate, widening until only a sliver of green could be seen surrounding the blackness as her eyes seemed to drink in the sight of the glowing light.

The light pulsed again, this time accompanied by wisps of the light wafting up from the mosaic like vapors of steam. Where Sakura's hand touched the artifact the light vapors began to coalesce on her arm, causing her limb to glow as the light crawled down her arm, wrapping and swirling lazily. Sakura couldn't move, nor was she inclined to. It was as if time had frozen, and she was now a spectator outside her own body.

_Murmurs brush her ears…_

The glowing mist of light curled around her neck, up to her ears.

_The whisperings grew louder…_

As the vapors of pale blue light reached her face, it felt like miniscule sparks of electricity were brushing her cheeks with every particle.

_If she strained closely the murmurings sounded like words…_

The light concentrated around her eyelids.

"_She's here." "Could it be?" "The descendent had arrived!" "It has been so long…"_

Tendrils of the light began to enter her sclera, misting over her entire eyeball until her eyes glowed faintly with the light in the dim temple.

"_Our own kind returns." "She's so young…" "I didn't know the ancient bloodlines had survived." _

The light gathered at her iris, swirling around her pupil until it turned a faint indigo color. As her pupil was ringed with the indigo iris, the light began swirling again just outside the newly formed iris, and another iris appeared, this one a slightly darker shade.

"_She is strong." "How unexpected." "A female heir?"_

By now her entire body was glowing with the light flowing from the ancient mosaic, Sakura's hand glued on the pupil of the giant eye. Miniscule pulses of light reverberated between her body and the artifact.

"_One would have thought the bloodlines diluted by now." "No, she holds too much power."_

Strands of pink hair floated up from her shoulders like a halo. The loose fabrics of her vest, shirt, and medic skirt lifted at their edges as well. Sakura's mind was blank. Hazy. Every time she tried to form a thought a gentle nudge would push away the urge to.

"_She is as strong as the ancient ones." "How is that possible?" "Has she come to reclaim us?"_

Her feet were no longer on the ground. She was floating. Sakura was vaguely aware of this.

"_This is the one." "It has to be." "Why is she not with the rest of the clan?"_

The voices were clamoring in her head, sounding as if they were both in her head, and yet far off beyond the stars.

"_Wait- She is sealed!" "How dare anyone seal the child." "This is dangerous."_

She wanted them to stop talking. She was confused. Who were these voices? They were too numerous to count, to inhuman and alien. They sounded neither male nor female, but rang in her ears like bright, resounding chimes.

"_Her power will continue to grow and when the seal breaks-" "We cannot allow her to die."_

Her eyes were not completely filled with violet and lavender irises. Her pupils were black and deep, seeming to absorb all light, depthless and unemotional.

"_But should we awaken her?" "It could harm her even more." "She would be unstable."_

Her veins were on fire. It strange chakra was running through her body- no it was her own chakra. But it was enhanced. As if a reservoir she had never known existed had opened up.

"_But if we leave her be she will it will only be a matter of time before the seal breaks."_

Sakura saw through new eyes. Everything was so much sharper, clearer, colors enhanced and more vibrant, even in the dim lighting of the temple.

"_She will become a time-bomb." "We cannot risk another apocalypse."_

She felt powerful. Almighty. Every speck of dust was visible to her eye, the networks of chakra that pulsed in the world around her, the life force of every organism within the area, all lay bare to her eyes.

"_Then let us wait and watch." "And awaken her when it is appropriate."_

The power was pulsing wildly within her. Sakura as if the chains she had never noticed before had finally been released. She was free, no longer caged like a prisoner to her own skin. This was the real her. All this time she had been searching, wondering why she felt empty inside. But now she had been released. The world would bow at her feet. A cruel smirk adorned her lips.

"_We shall retreat for now." "Stay safe, daughter." "Kami watch over the descendent." " The heir indeed."_

The power within her eyes was growing, enhancing, seeming to mature as fast as possible to catch up on their years of disuse.

As the murmuring voices, in their strange, chiming tongues, faded from her ears, Sakura felt something new. Alert and wary, her glowing irises squinted as a small pinprick of pain made itself know on her back. It was like a tiny electric shock that traveled up her spinal cord and collected on her brow. And as Sakura lifted a glowing hand to her forehead, piercing pain exploded on her brow as blood red ink appeared, carving itself brutally onto her face and burning at the edges.

At the same time a seal appeared on her back, hissing and spitting sparks and it burned symbols across her shoulder blades and down her spine. It was like a web drawn in blood and fire, appearing from within her own skin as the burning tentacles of ruby ink sliced up her shoulders and onto her neck, to her temples, and connecting with the seal emblazoned darkly across her forehead.

The pain was so overwhelming that Sakura's body threw its head back in pain, mouth open in a silent scream. The soft blue glow flickered around her form as the merciless red cinders on the seals drove away whatever power was holding her.

"AAAAAAAAAAAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII EEEEEEEEEEE!" the scream was retched from her throat brutally, her vocal cords in pain.

Sakura tried to call back the blue light, soothing and cool, not burning and piercing like this new pain. It throbbed and slashed and pierced and burned, seeming to ignite under her very own skin. It was pulling her mind back into its cage, clawing at her thoughts, shredding them, and Sakura could almost feel invisible claws of fire digging into her head.

Tears ran down her cheeks as her body stopped floating and collapsed with a loud _smack_ onto the cold floor of the temple. Her body convulsed as if to fight off the invasive seals, but they only hissed in her ears. Sakura was panting to breath, feeling suffocated, clawing at her throat, but the seals seemed to drag her mind down, down, down into their depths, locking her thoughts into darkness.

Sakura stopped moving, unconscious.

* * *

**NEJI I LOVE YOU PLEASE DON'T LEAVE US! Can you believe Kishimoto killed him off?! Such a jerk! TT^TT -(big fat tears) Bring Neji back! \(,)/ -(flips shit)**

**Okay, now to go work on that new story idea…**

**REVIEW! Whether it's to talk about the story or to agree with me that Kishimoto needs to die for killing Neji, REVIEW! They make me feel warm and fuzzy inside ****. No, this is not turning into ShikaSaku nor is this completely NejiSaku. This story still does not have any definite pairings.**

**Lots 'O Love**

**~Lilithia**


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